Fear Not the Night
by The Dragon's Scribe
Summary: Ninjas thrive in darkness and are the hands of shadow. The night is their holy sanctum and casts good fortune on the stealthy. He knows this. He has lived in shadow since the day he mutated and he has found safety in the night. When darkness falls he will rise and yet, there is something in the dark. Something that festers with his darkest secrets. He knows it, and he is afraid.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Alright, this is my little break story from SOTW (Shadows on the Wall). It's more of a drabble than anything, please enjoy and don't forget to review :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

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Fear is a powerful compulsion to commit acts out of desperation. It is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, or pain, whether the threat is real or imagined. That is fear. One can think of millions of different ways that one could experience the sheer power of fear. The word itself, in all its sound and tone, was enough to evoke a shiver in the bravest of souls. Not many can avoid being consumed by the power of fear, because, fear has allies. He calls upon the assistance of weakness, doubt, shame, and power. These four allies are enough to render any man motionless and cold upon the ground. However, when combined with the sister of fear, there is not a sliver of hope to feed to the afflicted, to the victim, to the dead fool who should encounter her.

Her name sends chills down the backs of great kings and her power shatters empires. Her voice sends heroes into fits of uncontrollable pain and darkness. She controls her victims with a poisonous tongue and talons laced with treachery. She has bent many men to their knees and broken their backs. Her name is isolation and she seeks out the weak and the feeble to add them to her collection. She consumes them whole and allows them to fester in her acidic gut. The acids tear apart her victims as the sheer immenseness of only isolation can do.

-.-.-.-.-.-

He hadn't seen light in a long time. His eyes had grown accustomed to shadow and dark. It was good and bad. He was skilled in night-sight, but it made him vulnerable to day light. Not a good thing when the day is longer than night in this world. He squinted fiercely against the blinding LCD flashlight's beam as it danced across his features. A growl rumbled in his throat but he did not allow it to escape, lest his "seeker" be startled by the sound. He shifted soundlessly, even with the flashlight trained on him; the seeker could not see him. That made him both proud and disappointed. His blue mask tails rested lightly on the katanas sheathed to his shell, threatening to flutter as a breath from the lair's air conditioning unit breezed over him. He was perched precariously upon one of the rocky perches near the roof of the lair. His muscular legs were as taut as a spring curled underneath his body as he crouched upon his perch. A sincere smile played upon his otherwise solemn features. He couldn't believe his seeker had still not found him. He kept his amusement to himself and leapt at his orange masked seeker. Oh yes, hide-and-seek was his favorite game, especially when played "ninja-style".


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yes I'm continuing this. I've got a terrible case of writer's block with Donnie in SOTW right now, so meh. Enjoy and don't forget to review :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

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He had been using the flashlight, although his brother had specifically told him not to, to find his always elusive eldest brother. He had found his other two brothers easily but Leo was always the hardest to find. So now he was bait while Don and Raph were waiting and watching in the shadows. They didn't have to help him, but Leo was the running champion of hide-and-seek, and they wanted a change of pace. Don had confessed his idea of Leo's tactic when playing hide-and-seek, despite how much he had wanted to take advantage of it when he was seeker next.

Leo was the ambush type of player. He would wait for the seeker to come near and then he would pounce and be victorious if he managed to steal the victor's mask. If Leo was unable to steal the mask and got caught in the rush, he would lose and losers in ninja-hide-and-seek did not necessarily enjoy losing. The winner gained bragging rights, which Leo would rarely take advantage of, and first picks of chores. There was always one biggest loser in their games, though, and that loser got the worst chores and had to do what the other brothers told them to do. Usually Leo was humble about his wins, but the brothers were still unsettled about it, especially Michelangelo and Raphael. Donatello was the second stealthiest while it was a big tie between Raph and Mikey for third. This time Leo would lose and they would make him remember it. Their hide-and-seek was not traditional.

So now Mikey was walking around the dark of the lair searching for Leo with a flashlight. He wasn't quite searching, rather than waiting with quite nervousness. He didn't want to be the loser this time. He couldn't see his other brothers, and he hoped Leo couldn't see them either. His biggest worry was that the other two were planning on leaving him to Leo while they watched. He didn't want to lose!

He shined the flashlight up to the ceiling and scanned for his brother. He scrutinized the rocky arches but saw nothing amiss. Where was Leo?

Something suddenly moved and a light weight landed on his shell. He was grabbed underneath his shoulders and flipped onto his plastron with a heavy thud. He cried out in surprise and in the scuffle, his flashlight had been thrown out of his hand. He struggled to free himself, kicking and waving wildly, but an iron grip held him fast as a calloused hand undid the knot of his mask with a gentle touch. There was a running sound and the iron grip on him vanished, leaving his mask askew, but in place. Mikey bounded to his feet and retied the knot. He glanced about, it had suddenly become silent. There was a shout and a rustling sound followed by another such sound. The silence returned. Mikey furrowed his eye ridges. Had Don and Raph caught Leo?

The lights to the lair banished the darkness and flooded the immense bricked home with brightness. Standing with a hand on the light switch was Leo. His mask was slightly askew and a peeved expression faintly played upon his features. In his other hand were two masks: red and purple. The other two brothers had their arms folded over their plastron and irritated expressions aimed at Mikey.

"What? It's not my fault you guys were too slow." Mikey said with his hands on his hips and an indignant expression. Leo chuckled at that. "I'd say they were fast enough Mikey, otherwise I'd have your mask and not theirs." He walked over to his two immediate younger brothers and handed them their masks. They took them back with sighs and a dirty look from Raphael. Leo shrugged it off and was about to walk to the kitchen when his mask tails were yanked and he stumbled back. He turned and gave Mikey a puzzled expression. Mikey only grinned wide. "You took Donnie and Raphie's masks, not mine. I was seeker! So technically the game wasn't over! You lose! I'm the stealth master!" He said in excitement, his voice only escalated with each victorious word.

Leo stared at him for a second and shrugged. "I suppose so Mikey. Good thinking." He said with a sincere smile.

Mikey stared at him with a suddenly blank expression. "Uh yeah!" He shouted uncertainly. He had expected more of a reaction from Leo than that. After all, the eldest had been the "stealth master" for a very long time. Mikey couldn't recall the last time anyone had actually won hide-and-seek without cheating against Leo. Then again, Leo always did want them to succeed. Mikey was puzzled over that aspect of his brother's mentality. Why was Leo so selfless in that matter? He didn't want to be "top dog" like Raph, he didn't compete with Don over technology, and he certainly didn't ever want to be the center of attention like Mikey. What_ did_ Leo want, then?

Mikey puzzled over this while his brothers began a walk towards the kitchen, Don rushing ahead so he could make breakfast. There was always a competition between him and Mikey over who was the better cook, but Mikey, so caught up in the sudden realization, couldn't care less at the moment. Don hurried over to the stovetop and began twisting knobs and rummaging through the cupboards. Raph opened the fridge lazily, leaning over so he could see what he was looking for. Mikey sat down at the worn out kitchen table, propping his head on his hands in thought. Leo headed past the kitchen and towards the restroom.

He passed through the threshold without so much as a second glance at his brothers and closed the door behind him with a soft click. A soft smile played upon his lips as he unslung the katanas from his shell and hung them on a rack next to the closed door. He then untied his belt, humming a soft tune as he did so. He was in a good mood this morning. His early morning practice had gone off without a hitch and he had been able to spend some quality time with his brothers. Michelangelo had displayed remarkable cunning during hide-and-seek, despite his inability to spot his eldest brother and the use of the flashlight. The best part though, was that there was a peaceful aura emanating from his brothers. One he had longed for—for a long-long time. He heaved a breath of ease as he neatly folded his belt and placed it on the bathroom counter. He turned to the mirror, closing his eyes as he untied the knot of his mask. After the lengthy practice he had endured this morning, he needed a soothing shower to cool down. Despite his seemingly calm exterior, he could feel the creaking ache in his muscles as he moved them and he could taste the salty sweat that beaded his smooth reptilian skin. He hadn't gotten much rest in the past few hours. He had awoken around two in the morning and had trained non-stop until seven, when his brothers had woken. They had then done a few quick warm-ups before several rounds of ninja-hide-and-seek. It was now nine and Leo had to admit that he was tired. He sighed as the soft cloth of his mask loosened on his tired features. He opened his eyes as he removed the mask; he folded the worn blue material into a neat square and placed it next to his belt. His eyes slowly drifted up to the mirror and he froze.

His reflection stared at him and he stared back. Leo couldn't quite place it, but something was wrong. His soft and mellow gray eyes studied his reflection's features, and although there was nothing remarkably strange about his features, Leo could not help but tense his tired muscles. Convinced that his lack of sleep was getting the better of him, he turned away from the mirror and twisted a steel knob to turn the shower faucet on. A stream of warm water sprayed in a sudden gush from the shower head. Leo lifted a hand to the water and, after judging whether it was warm enough, he stepped into range of the spray. He closed his eyes as the warm water settled and soothed his tensed muscles. He momentarily left the mirror incident in the back of his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Alright, another chapter down :) Please tell me what you think so far and your ideas on what's going on with Leo.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

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Donatello hummed happily as the sound of sizzling bacon and the smoky scent wafted from the pan. He turned to the eggs in another pan and stirred them up, lest they burn. The biscuits in the oven were nearly golden brown and they too exuded a delicious scent. Raphael breathed in a deep breath, allowing the smell from Don's cooking to fill his head with euphoria. His stomach rumbled and he took a swig of a glass of orange juice that he had pilfered from the fridge. He exhaled and glanced at Michelangelo. The orange masked terrapin was lost in thought, staring at the wood grain of the kitchen table. Raph raised an eye ridge and stared at him. Mikey hadn't noticed. Raph reached over and flicked his brother's forehead with a finger. Mikey flinched and shot a glare at him.

"What was that for, Raph?" He muttered as he rubbed the spot on his forehead. The older turtle sipped his orange juice. "Well, it ain't normal t'see ya thinkin' so hard. I'm curious Mike. What's got ya' so quiet and thoughtful?" Raph asked. Don glanced back; his curiosity was piqued as well.

Mikey shrugged at the question and leaned back in the chair. "Hardy har'har', Raph, I do use my brain. Anyways, I've been thinking," He began. "Always a dangerous thing with you…" Don trailed with a chuckle. Mikey shot a look in Don's direction. His purple masked brother smiled innocently. Mikey huffed in irritation. "Never mind, you guys are mean."

"Aw, sorry Mike, ya' know we're just messin' with ya'." Raph said with a chuckle. Mikey gave him a sidelong look. "Okay, we won't interrupt or make fun o' ya, so please share yer' thoughts with us." Raph said with a sip of his orange juice. Mikey sighed. "You better! Anyways! I was thinking about how Leo never… I don't know… tries to be better than us. He's always all like 'good job' and stuff, and he never bothers with anything other than training and meditation. Remember when we were kids? All four of us used to be doing stupid stuff all the time. We would pull pranks on each other, and Leo always wanted to do anything but train. It's weird. I never thought about it before, but, Leo used to be the one to always skip practice when we were little. What changed?" Mikey asked his brothers with an extremely puzzled expression. Don and Raph exchanged glances. Don turned to the stove and turned it off.

"That's a good question." Don said. He opened the oven and, with an oven mitt, he removed a tray of biscuits. He closed the oven door and set the tray on the counter. "I never really paid much attention to it, but you're right. Leo used to never like training. He always wanted to use my computer back then. Well, at least before the accident. After that… he just wouldn't touch it. He would always hide in the shadows and we didn't see him very often." Don mused. Raph and Mikey had stiffened at mention of the "accident". It was a sore subject around the lair, one that no one wanted to mention, especially if Leo was around.

"Ya' know, I didn't think…" Raph began, but he trailed off, staring at his reflection in the orange juice. His brothers watched him expectantly. "You didn't think what?" Mikey asked. Raph drank more of his orange juice, finishing it with a single gulp. He exhaled. "I didn't think Leo was very good at fighting or even stealth. He sucked at it. He always blundered about like an elephant. Now, I remember when he got behind a computer, he could do anythin'. He was a genius. He even rivaled you, Donnie." Raph yawned. Don chuckled. "Yeah, he was pretty good with a computer. I'd be out of a job if he had stuck to it. He was also a bit of a hot head like you Raph."

The red masked terrapin grumbled something unintelligible at that.

There was a moment of silence as they remembered their childhood memories. Most were happy, some were painful. Don glanced about. "Well, breakfast is ready. If Leo would just hurry up in the shower we could eat."

"Don't wait on me, I'm done."

The three brothers stiffened and turned to spot Leo leaning against the wall with a towel hanging from his shoulders. His blue mask was fitted snugly over his snout and his belt was tied about his waist with a perfect knot. His katanas were gone though. He had likely left them in his room on a weapon rack. The three brothers knew that Leonardo loved his weapons. His katanas were just his most prized. Based upon his relaxed posture, his brothers safely assumed that he hadn't heard their earlier conversation. They were all too glad for that. Leo always got upset whenever the "_accident_" was mentioned.

-.-.-.-.-.-

The darkness was close around him. As night had brought its cloak over the surface, so it had to the subterranean lair. Sweat beaded his smooth skin as muscle rippled underneath it. His body was bathed in shadow, only the faint flicker of candles illuminated his silhouette. His hard silvery-gray gaze darted over the expanse of the lair as he moved in fluid grace. He watched for the tell-tale signs of watchers. He did not want his brothers to see what he worked on in the early hours of the day and the late hours of the night. They already knew he spent most of his past time training his ninjutsu. However, they were unaware of his other pastimes. He straightened his form, his spine was erect, his shoulders squared. In his mind's eye, he conjured the images of foot ninjas as his opponents.

One ninja stood in front of him and hurled a solid left punch at him. Leonardo turned his torso underneath the punch but his unpadded left knee shot out and struck the ninja's unprotected right side. His knee impacted with the ninja's ribcage with multiple cracking sounds emanating from the illusionary ninja. Leo continued the motion and turned about to face a charging ninja, wielding a katana. He moved his right foot forward, turning his body so that his right side faced the ninja. His feet were shoulder width apart and his knees were bent inwards while his feet were turned in as well to form an imaginary triangle. Leo held his empty hands up and he watched his opponent's charge carefully. Leo's left foot slid back and perpendicular to his right foot. Leo's torso moved out of the ninja's path, but his extended right leg remained in place. The ninja brought his katana down, but he hesitated at Leonardo's sudden move and tripped over his extended leg. Leo moved quickly, slamming an open palm in the center of the ninja's back, between his shoulder blades. There was an imaginary crunch of bone and the ninja dropped lifeless to the ground, his spine having been cracked by the force of the blow.

Leo turned towards his final opponent his features were set into an expression of fierce determination. Leo entered a fighting stance. His knees bent nearly to a set of perfect right angles. His arms were spread before and behind him, his hands were open and his fingers closed. He waited for his opponent, his gray eyes calculating. The final foot ninja raced forward, gripping a katana in both hands. He brought the blade over his head as he charged, ready to bring it down and cleave Leonardo in half. The blue masked terrapin's left arm swept out swiftly in a chop. His muscular forearm struck the underside of the ninja's wrist with a crack that made the imaginary ninja drop his katana. Leo's other arm whipped out like a coiled snake and he struck the ninja's sternum with a side chop. An audible series of cracks emanated from the ninja's chest cavity and he toppled to the ground lifeless.

Leo straightened, he faced the empty lair, sweat dripped from his chin and streamed down his body. He closed his eyes and exhaled a deep breath. His shoulders sagged. He felt a smile crease his features. Oh, how he had missed this!

Ninjutsu was spectacular. He loved it, but it could become boring for a martial artist like Leonardo. So he began learning other forms of martial arts. He never trained anything other than ninjutsu in front of his brothers. They would think he was trying to show them up. Things would turn overly competitive and someone would get hurt. No, it was better to keep his extra training to himself.

Leo's fists had been taped, as well as his knees and heels. He only used the tape when he trained in Muay Thai. He figured that if Raphael ever chose to partake in other martial arts, it would be Muay Thai, simply because of its harsh physical strikes. The common strikes practiced by a Muay Thai fighter included the knees, elbows, punches and kicks. It was a much harsher version of boxing. Leo enjoyed the rigor of training in Muay Thai. It was a martial art that required ferocity. No holding back. Leo would never have trained with his brothers in Muay Thai. It was too dangerous. One accidental strike could mean extreme danger. He trained in private, for many years. He was no master, but any Muay Thai practitioner would be wary to challenge him. Of course, Leo knew he could not get far if he only practiced strikes with no opponent, so he trained with Leatherhead in secret. The other mutant understood Leo's reasons for keeping his training a secret and helped Leo in any he could.

Leo, wearing his tape and katanas, lowered himself to the ground in a split. He leaned forward, stretching his muscles and allowing them to cool down. He also practiced jiujutsu, a form of martial arts that had branched off of ninjutsu. Leo appreciated jiujutsu. The throws and strikes involved allowed him to experiment with his ninja training. He had integrated some of it into sparring with his brothers. They were only somewhat surprised by the few times he had used a jiujutsu move. It was so similar to ninjutsu, that they never questioned Leo about it.

He shifted his weight to his outstretched arms and then to his hands, which rested with palms flat on the ground. He lifted his body into a hand stand, moving his legs together as he extended his arms as far as he could. There was still one other martial art that he found himself constantly entranced by: kenpo. Its fluidity and free form kept his form graceful and deadly. When he had first practiced it, he had known that he was built for it. Quick but graceful, deadly but controlled, kenpo was a favorite pastime of his. It kept him moving and he used it whenever he could, as long as it was not with his brothers.

Leo slowly bent his elbows, lowering his body. He could feel the muscles in his upper arms and shoulders tighten with the movement. He closed his eyes and exhaled, holding the position. When was the last time he had gone sparring with Leatherhead? He knew it had been a long time. He extended his arms and pushed off the ground, shifting his weight back, so that he rolled onto his shell and came to his feet in a crouch. He stood and rotated his neck, sensing more than a few kinks. He padded over to the kitchen and grabbed a white Tupperware off the counter. He then walked to the entrance of the lair, passing the pool of water. He dug his shellcell out of the holster in his belt with his free hand. Leo dialed a number and his phone buzzed quietly as he entered the sewer tunnels. His gray eyes scanned the shadows of the tunnel he walked down cautiously. He couldn't quite place it, but he sensed something from the shadows. Something familiar. A wave of déjà vu filled his head with a fuzzy-warm sensation. He recognized the feeling as the same that had bothered him about the mirror just several hours earlier. The sound of a crunch echoed through the tunnel. Leo stiffened. He had heard that sound before. Silence, accompanied by a steady dripping sound, quickly filled in the void left by the crunch. Leo tensed, his gray gaze darted about. What was going on?

"Leonardo? Hello?" A deep voice broke through Leo's thoughts. He glanced down at the shellcell in his right hand, still listening intently and cautiously for any signs of danger. He furrowed his brows. The bright screen of his phone said that he had been connected with Leatherhead for about two minutes.

"Sorry, LH, I didn't hear you. I was just calling to ask if it would be okay for me to drop by for some Muay Thai sparring. I know it's late and unannounced and I don't mean to impose or any," Leo began with all sincerity. "Leonardo, it is no bother at all. I welcome you. It has been too long since I last had a visitor. Please come." Leatherhead's voice interrupted kindly.

"Alright, thanks, LH. I'll be there shortly." Leo replied, he hung up and placed the phone back in a holster on his belt. He gave a last cursory glance over the shadows about him and hurried off, wondering if he had heard the crunch sound or if it was just part of his imagination.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This one was a little harder to piece together. Anyways, I hope you guys like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

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_A small green figure stood at the end of a dark sewer tunnel, just outside the shadows. He wore a blue mask that covered the upper half of his head. His soft gray eyes stared cautiously into the shadows. He held a rotten apple in both of his hands. The apple was dark and wizened. Something had bitten it at one point, revealing its rotten blackish-yellow flesh. A twisted stem poked out the top of it, accompanied by black and shriveled leaves. A steady dripping sound from water running down a rusty pipe was the only sound that could be heard. The young turtle was only about three feet tall and no more than four years old._

_"Where were you?" A young voice whispered from the shadows. The voice was raspy, as it had not spoken in a long time._

_"I was looking for food. I'm sorry, this is all I found." Leo said, holding the apple out to the shadows. "It's okay. I know that it's hard down here. You don't have to do this for me. Just worry about yourself." The voice replied, the speaker was all but invisible in the shadows. Leo shook his head, a worried and sad expression was fixed upon his young features._

_"No. I won't turn my shell on you. I'll keep you safe."_

_There was a shifting sound from the darkness and the apple was snatched from Leo's hands with a swift motion. There was a silent pause before a loud crunch echoed in the tunnel as the shadowy figure bit into the apple. Leo sat down cross legged, just at the edge of the darkness. "Why don't you ever show yourself in the light?" He asked, his eyes scanning the shadows for the person hiding in them. "It's for the same reason that I can't get food for myself. I just can't. You're… You're," The voice paused, searching for a word. "You're the right one. I'm not. I can't… I can't do what you can… Leo." The voice continued._

_Leo's eyes widened._

_"That's what they call you right? Those other voices? I can hear the echoes here. I didn't know that's what a name was." The voice said before taking another bite of the rotten apple._

_"Leo, what's my name?" It asked._

_Leo bit his lip. "I don't know. I need to go look for more food. I'll think of a name for you. I promise." He said, standing up. He turned and his bare feet padded against the cold stone as he walked down the dark tunnel. The sound of a crunching apple echoed behind him._

_"Hurry back. It gets lonely here in the dark."_

-.-.-.-.-.-

Leonardo leaned back under a heavy punch from a large scaly fist wrapped with tape. His mask tails fluttered with the swift move. He straightened as the fist drew back. He raised his own taped fists; his steely gray gaze regarded his opponent with cold calculation. Sweat beaded his emerald green skin and his breath came out in swift huffs. He leaned to the right, ducking under a left cross. He moved in, closing the short distance between himself and his larger opponent, keeping underneath the outstretched arm. He only had a split second before the fist drew back. His left elbow impacted a tough stomach with a heavy thump. Leo leapt back, avoiding a tail swipe that would have knocked him flat over. He brought his fists back up and he bounced on the balls of his feet. His gray eyes held a glint of fire as he regarded the large mutant across from him. Leatherhead was in the same stance as Leo, but he was not bouncing. He was a solid wall of scale and muscle. He was sweating though and panting just as much as Leo was. They were both exhausted. Leatherhead's green gaze met Leo's.

"Leonardo, might I propose a break?" LH suggested, keeping his fists up and maintaining his stance. Leo kept his stance as well but nodded once in agreement. Both dropped their hands to their sides and their shoulders sagged. Leo's features broke into a warm smile. Leatherhead regarded his friend with a similar expression. "You have improved greatly, Leonardo. I could hardly keep up most of the time."

Leo walked over to his much larger friend and patted him on the shoulder. "Thanks, LH. You nearly decked me with that last move. I seriously didn't see that coming." He said with chuckle. The tall alligator chuckled and a blush crept into his features. "Thank-you Leonardo," He said.

The abandoned subway terminal was bright and spacious. Statues stood in certain areas and a blue wash of light from the ceiling gave the area a calm feeling. The two walked over to a stone bench, the white Tupperware sat on it. Leo gave Leatherhead a wink and opened it. The warm scent of cookies wafted from the plastic box. Leo took one and munched on it, a sweet taste filled his mouth with a warm sensation. He motioned for Leatherhead to have at the cookies and the larger mutant gingerly took one in his large hand.

"So Leatherhead, what were you doing before I got here?" Leo asked before taking a bite from his cookie. The alligator nodded once and made a waving motion, meaning he wanted Leo to follow him. Leonardo frowned in puzzlement but followed as Leatherhead began walking towards a desk that had been pushed up against a wall. On the desk were several small round metal spheres. Leo glanced at Leatherhead questioningly. The alligator handed one to Leo. The blue masked terrapin studied it curiously. It was small and black, about the size of a lime. A sudden blue glow emanated from the object and a hologram appeared in front of him. It was an image of him and his brothers sitting about a campfire, roasting marshmallows. He glanced at Leatherhead in confusion.

"Random Access Memory Spheres, or RAMS for short. These allow you to review any memory you so please. I found it useful for when I misplace something or when I want to remember my time with the Utroms." Leatherhead explained. Leo nodded once. "How did you come up with the idea to make this?" He asked as another image appeared, this one was of the Ancient One. Leatherhead shrugged. "I just thought it would be an interesting thing to consider. I wasn't even certain that it would work." He said with a chuckle. Leo handed the orb back to Leatherhead who only motioned for Leo to keep it. "I think you should keep it, Leonardo. These items have a mind of their own. I infused them with Utrom technology, you see. They are part organic and part… well inorganic. They bond with one person and keep the bond. It seems to have chosen you." Leatherhead said. Leo glanced at the small object in his hand. Another hologram appeared. Both Leatherhead and Leo glanced at the hologram and both froze. The hologram was dark, but they could make out the image.

Blood. Tears. Darkness. They could see the faint trace of blue from a mask as well as silver-gray eyes. Leo dropped the sphere and the hologram fizzled out of focus. The sphere hit the ground with a metallic clack and the blue glow disappeared. Leo took a step back, a look of horror fixed upon his features. Leatherhead was too shocked to say or do anything. He had never seen so much blood before. He stared at Leo who only soundlessly opened and closed his mouth. The blue masked terrapin turned and fled. Leatherhead watched him leave; he didn't know what to make of what had just happened.

-.-.-.-.-.-

His chest heaved with uneven breaths as his feet slapped against the cement beneath him. The night air bit at his running form with its freezing fangs. The moon glowed silver in the sky, surrounded by stars. Gray bricked walls rose high into the sky around him as he ran down the alley. His blue mask tails fluttered behind him. His mind raced just as much as his body did. Scattered thoughts, questions, and desperation filled his mind. He turned a corner in the alley way and leapt over a scattering of trash that overflowed from a dumpster. The ground was slicked in brown muck, a mix of snow-slush and dirt and trash. He ignored the filth and ran. He slowed to a stop as something in his side flared painfully. He brought his left hand up to the right side of his abdomen. He breathed in painfully. Just a side stitch. He had been breathing in too much, trapping carbon dioxide in his body. He needed to regain his control and calm.

"Back off!"

Leo's head snapped in the direction of the sound, his eyes narrowed. Voices. Getting louder with each second. He could hear approaching footsteps as well as the sound of a blade exiting a scabbard. His hands tightened into fists. This was not the time.

Sure enough several raggedly dressed men turned the corner he had turned only a minute ago. They followed three other men, one bleeding profusely from his arm. Red blood had already soaked his loose sweater. All of the men looked like gang members. Tattoos covered their bodies, they wore oversized jackets and their pants hung past their knees. The group jeered and hooted at the other three men. Leo tensed; he was itching for a reason to strike someone or something. The hologram from the RAMS brought back memories he didn't want to think about. The image could only have been from the accident that nearly tore him apart. He certainly wanted something else to do, to think about. Beating some thugs down would certainly meet that desire.

He began moving towards them. His rationale was powerless against his need. His silvery gray gaze narrowed, his shoulders squared and his he rotated his neck, preparing for a fight. The thugs spotted him quickly as he came into view at a steady walk. The larger group lost interest in the other three men and turned to him.

"Órale, vato, get lost or else!" One of them shouted at him. Leo continued his walk, not pausing, not fazed. The men could not make out his green skin yet, only his dark silhouette. He soon made it into view and laughs broke out. "Oh look, we've got some idiot in a frog suit! Whatcha' gon' do, froggie?" Another sneered. The men began to fan out, surrounding Leo. The terrapin warrior stood still, he gave a quick cursory glance about him. Only seven men. It wasn't even going to be a fight. He remained still, the other men made a few more snide remarks but none moved to attack him.

"You just gonna' talk, or are you gonna' try and hit me?" Leo asked calmly. He wasn't interested in playing games with the thugs. They flinched at his remark and moved forward to strike. One swung a metal pipe at his head. Leo stepped back and grabbed the back of his attacker's wrist. He slapped his free hand at the back of the attacker's elbow. Using the joint lock, Leo hurled the man into a pair of thugs. They tumbled to the ground in a jumble of arms and legs.

Leo dropped into a crouch under a left hook and slammed his elbow into the new attacker's ribs. There was a crack and the thug hit the ground with a cry of pain. Leo rolled to the left, avoiding the swing of a bat. He rose to his feet as the bat-swinger swung wildly. Leo's left arm whipped out, striking the inside of the bat-swinger's bat-arm and effectively halting the attack. Leo moved his right leg behind the bat-swinger and gave the man a hefty uppercut. The man leaned back with the blow, tripping over Leo's leg and hitting the ground on his back. Leo swung back and under a wild punch, coming behind another thug. He struck quickly; delivering a series of swift punches to the thug's left side. The thug slumped to the ground with a groan. Leo turned to regard one thug still standing. The man looked ready to piss himself. He whipped out a knife and held the weapon out at Leo threateningly. The turtle cocked his head and gave the knife a dismal look.

"Really? I took out six guys, some armed, in less than a minute, and you think I'll just suddenly become a coward at the sight of that pocket knife? You've really got to change your mentality." Leo said with obvious annoyance. The man only charged. Leo could at least give him credit for not running away. The blade came to rake across his eyes. Leo leaned back and the blade passed inches away from his bright gray eyes. Leo caught the back of the man's wrist and twisted his arm sharply as he bumped his hip into him. The man twisted and fell ungracefully on the floor on his front. Leo plucked the knife from the man's grip. "Before you hurt yourself swinging this butter knife around," Leo muttered. He traced the blade alongst the man's jaw line. The man stiffened and regarded him with fearful wide eyes.

"Oh. Not quite so confident now, are you? You should have ran. You know what? I'll make a deal with you. If you quit this gang business of yours, I'll let you off with this warning. Now, should you persist, I'll find you and make you wish… Well, let's leave the rest of that to your imagination." Leo threatened calmly. He had no intention of spilling anyone's blood anytime soon. It went against everything his family believed in. It went against everything he believed in. He stiffened. Here he was, trying to forget the accident, yet, he just kept bringing it back up.

_CRACK!_

Blinding pain erupted from the back of Leo's head as a large solid plank of wood splintered apart upon striking him. Leo fell on top of the thug with a pain induced groan. The thug shoved him off, sending the stunned turtle rolling onto his shell. Leo's vision was filled with stars; he shook his head, trying to clear his vision. He screwed his eyes shut as an echo of pain erupted through his skull. He instinctively rolled to the right. A heavy thud resounded from where he had just been lying. Leo regained his footing and shakily rose. He released a deep breath and opened his silvery-gray gaze. His eyes narrowed at the sight of two thugs standing across from him. The one he had disarmed was now wielding a metal pipe and the other wielded a splintered shard of wood. Leo felt something feral inside of him snarl, like a beast at the end of its chain. Leo rushed forward, unsheathing both katanas. He was done playing games with these foolish humans.

The two men swung their weapons in unison and Leo's katanas swung from the left to meet them. His katanas sheared through both weapons like butter. Leo proceeded to bash the pommels of his weapons into both of the thugs' faces as he passed between them. Crunching sounds erupted as the metal pommels struck soft cartilage and solid bone. The two thugs staggered back, Leo turned on his heels and faced them. They clutched what remained of their bloody and crushed noses. Leo strode towards the one who had struck him with the wooden plank before. He moved differently. All warmth and brightness had faded from his eyes. His mouth was set in a grim line of apathy and his gaze held a certain disgust. Leonardo brought his right hand katana back and swiftly cut through the thug's neck. Blood spurted as the blade severed the man's jugular vein. The quiet crack of the man's neck bone told the other thug that he needed to get away.

The man staggered to his feet and began a mad dash away from the blue masked terrapin. Leo's eyes calmly followed the man's running form. Leo stabbed his left hand katana into the dead man's abdomen and changed his grip on his right hand katana. He brought back his right arm, judging the distance with cold calculation and hurled the weapon. The blue hilted katana sailed through the air accompanied by a whistling.

The man turned his head at the sound. His eyes widened in fear and he uttered a scream. The blade pierced through his forehead with a wet crunch. Leo turned to the other men, who were just stirring. He tore his weapon from the dead body and strode to the prone men. One by one, as Leo passed by them, he slashed through each of their throats before they could fight back. Blood began to pool around Leo in a puddle. His feet were as red as his blade.

The three men who had not engaged in the conflict, one of which wore a blood soaked sweater, watched in silent horror at Leo's methodic slaying of the men. They remained quiet and still, so as not to become victims of Leonardo.

Leo flicked the blood from his katana before sheathing it on his shell. He had seen the other three men, but he would not kill them. Not tonight. Let them feel the fear. Let them fear _him_. Anyone who struck at him deserved nothing but death. They had attacked him with the intent to kill, why not repay the favor?

He froze suddenly at that thought. He blinked once. Twice. Three times. What the hell did he just think? What the hell did he _do_? Leo dropped his gaze to the dead bodies of his victims. So much blood. He had seen it before, at his hand as well. His lip quivered and his hands shook. What the _fuck_ had he done? He backed away from the bodies, only to step in more blood. He couldn't take it. He couldn't take it.

Leo ran.

-.-.-.-.-.-

_"I didn't think you were going to come back, I was so hungry, Leo." The voice whispered from the dark. It sounded weak, frail, and yet there was a sliver of hope in its voice._

_The young Leo stood just outside the shadows. He did not look at the shadows, only offered a piece of moldy bread. The bread was snatched from his hand. There was a munching sound as the shadow began eating the vile scrap. Leo felt bile rise in his throat but he ignored it._

_"I have a name for you." He whispered almost inaudibly._

_"Really? What is it?"_

_"Naito."_

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**A/N: Alright! So, any ideas on who or what Naito is? Please tell me everything you think in a review :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So the next chapter. I'm really loving the feedback I'm getting on this story. Thanks so much for the reviews, they are definitely helping me develop this storyline. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

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Leonardo shuffled into the lair. It was early morning; no doubt his brothers would wake soon. He had cleansed himself of the blood but crimson still stained his soul. How had he lost his control so easily and so violently?

Leo moved into the kitchen and sat down at the table. He dropped his head into his hands with a heavy exhale. He had never taken a life in cold blood, let alone eight human lives in less than five minutes. The worst part of it all was that he couldn't stop thinking about it, and, it reminded him of the accident that had occurred so long ago. He didn't know what to make of himself at that moment. Why did he snap like that? He closed his eyes and shook his head in his hands. Thank whatever higher being there was that he hadn't snapped like that on his brothers. He tensed. His brothers. He sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes. He did not need this right now, it was bad enough that he had killed. He cursed under his breath. What if his brothers found out? What would they think of him? Would they brand him a monster? Would they banish him? Would they try to put him down?

Would they be afraid of him?

Leo stiffened. Afraid? Did he _want_ them to be afraid?

That was a disturbing thought. Leo shook his head. He needed some tea. He stood and grabbed the tea kettle off the counter. He filled the kettle with water and tossed in a calming blend of herbs before setting it on the stovetop. He leaned against the counter with a deep exhale. He'd been doing that a lot in the past thirty minutes. He dropped his head back and breathed in. It was just an accident. He hadn't meant to kill those men. It had just… happened. Oh that was a brilliant excuse. He had just been fighting some thugs and, well, as accidents happen, he accidentally slit a few throats and threw his katana like javelin so it would strike some poor idiot in the forehead and skewer his brain. Brilliant excuse. Leo shook his head. Was he actually taking this lightly?

The kettle began its annoying whistling, jarring Leo from his thoughts. He thanked it for that. He was beginning to scare himself. He turned towards the kettle and removed it from the stove. He poured some tea into a teacup on the counter.

"Leo?"

The blue masked terrapin turned to spot a half asleep Michelangelo standing by the fridge. The younger turtle was watching his brother with a worried expression. Leo glanced at the clock on the stove. It was four in the morning. Not too odd for Leo to be awake right now. Usually he would be up and meditating or practicing his katas. So why would Michelangelo be worried? Leo turned his gaze back to his brother. Did Leo still have blood on him?

"Hey, Mikey, you're up pretty early." Leo remarked, easily hiding his unease. Mikey continued with his worried look. Leo ignored it and sipped from his teacup. There was a long silence.

"Leo, why are your hands covered in bandages?"

Leonardo swallowed his tea and set the cup down. He glanced at his "bandages" and mentally sighed in relief. It was just the tape he used for Muay Thai and, thankfully, it was not bloody. Leo regarded his brother with a fake smile. "They're just tape. Y'know? For hitting the training posts." Leo lied. Mikey stared. "I've seen you beat those things up with your bare hands. What are you hiding?" He asked suspiciously. Leo laughed softly. "Mikey, I didn't want to wake anyone up. The tape just softens the sound and, as a bonus, it helps me not break my hands. I'm not hiding anything. Why are you so suspicious?" Leo covered, wondering how he had come up with the lies so quickly. Mikey shook his head and rubbed his bleary and tired eyes. He offered Leo a casual and sleepy smile.

"Sorry, my brain's not working right now. It's too early for me to start thinking, bro'." Mikey yawned as he approached the kitchen table and sat down. He stretched his arms and released another yawn. Leo watched him, but remained silent.

"When's Master Splinter coming back from Japan?" Mikey asked sleepily, turning to look at Leo. The older turtle sipped his tea. "He didn't exactly give us a set date. He said he would be back in two months so he should be here within the next two weeks… possibly three." Leo replied. He set his teacup down and stretched his arms. A pang of pain sparked in his right shoulder and he winced. He glanced at Mikey but the other turtle hadn't seemed to notice. He rolled his joint in its socket, wondering how the pain had gotten there. Maybe that thug had done some muscle damage to him when that plank hit him. Leo tensed at that. How had he gotten caught off guard so easily? Oh yes, it was remembering things that should have remained in the past. That was a reason. Leo bit his lip. He really needed to get over that accident. But how could he? He had been so damn young at the time. It had imprinted into his childhood. It was one of the only things he remembered from his younger years. Besides that… He had actually… No. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to remember it. It was part of the past. The past is where it should remain. Leo walked by his brother, patting him on the shoulder as he passed.

Despite killing the men and bringing crippling memories to the surface, Leo had to admit he felt calm. Serene. At ease. He had killed eight men, in a matter of seconds. Shouldn't that worry him? It probably should, however, now that he thought about it, he wasn't too bothered by the actual killing. He didn't mind that part. Maybe, in some way, what he did wasn't some heinous act. After all, those men could have killed an innocent. It was better that they were dead.

Still. It wasn't entirely right. Maybe it was justified, but he had to admit that it wasn't a good thing either. One thing was certain. He needed to know if the men he had killed were innocent or not. Leo turned, glancing at his tired brother from the doorway of the kitchen. "Hey, go ahead and get some sleep. I'm postponing training until noon. 'Kay?" Leo told his unusually calm younger brother. Mikey's eyes lit up. "Thanks, Leo!" He cried out happily, leaping from the chair to wrap his arms around his older brother. The blue masked terrapin was drawn into a choking hug and stunned by the sudden burst of energy from his brother. Within a heartbeat, Michelangelo had released his brother and darted away into his room, slamming the door shut. Leo was left frozen in place. He shook his head and made his way to Don's lab area, passing the stack of television screens against the wall. The blue couch across from the entertainment center looked particularly inviting to the worn out terrapin but he kept moving. He sat down in a cushioned swivel chair. He turned to the intimidating collection of computer screens and flicked one on.

Leo wasn't one for technology. It always seemed to blow up in his face. He was, however, good enough with it to use the internet and delete his browsing history. Don had shown him how to do both when they were about fourteen and hormones had been raging. The four brothers had managed to get away with their  
misadventures on the internet until the day that Master Splinter had overheard them talking about "females". After that, the computer was locked away until Don had somehow managed to reacquire it.

Leo typed away on the keyboard and did a quick search on a name: Javier Garcia. Leo had seen the name on one of his victim's shirts. The corner of his mouth twitched. Victim. He shrugged off the thoughts that the word gave him as a police report loaded on the monitor. He needed to know that he hadn't killed off some troubled teenager. He gave a sigh of relief. Javier was a convicted rapist and had been charged with assault more than once. He clicked a link on the bright screen and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. It was a newspaper article. Javier had been charged with the murders of his wife and daughter, but the charges had to be dropped. Somehow, the evidence that connected him to the murders had mysteriously disappeared. So Javier had walked.

Leo nodded once and deleted his browsing history before closing the internet windows and turning the computer off. One of the men he had killed was a murderer. One of them was a murderer who had gotten away with it until now. That was good.

-.-.-.-.-.-

_Pain. Nothing but pain. Something had gone terribly wrong. He opened his eyes but nothing changed. It was still nothing but darkness. He panicked at that. He flailed his limbs wildly and suddenly he was falling. Falling… Wet. Cold. Rushing. He was swept away by something strong and formless. Water. That's what it was. It pulled him and even his lungs were starting to fill with it. His awareness, his consciousness began to drift away. The pain began to fade…_

_Awake. He snapped his eyes open and still, there was nothing but darkness. Where were they? Where was he? He didn't know. He was lying half in the water and half on cold stone on his stomach. He lifted his one functional limb, his right arm, and crawled. He clawed at the stone and dragged himself from the water. Crawled. Crawled. It was agonizing, but he finally reached a cool and damp corner. Slowly, one side of his vision began to brighten. His right eye was working now. Still, it was not very helpful in the dark. He stiffened. He heard shuffling sounds as well as a voice. No. There were five. He listened intently, keeping silent and unmoving. They walked past him, padding quietly on bare feet. Suddenly one stopped. He shrank back into the shadows. He could just make out a dark silhouette. It was small. The ones it had accompanied were farther away. They had not noticed anything._

_"Hello?" The silhouette whispered in a male child's voice. He remained silent. He could feel a gnawing hunger in his abdomen. Maybe if this… child… crept closer, he would have a meal. He waited. He hoped it would move closer. The child did, slightly edging into the shadows. He tensed, waiting for the chance to strike and make his meal when something deep and innate said something. Ordered him._

_No._

_The child was closer now. He itched and his stomach churned for wont of sustenance. A soft hand brushed over his left arm, one of his non-functional limbs. He froze in shock, as did the child. He knew this feeling. As did the child. Connected. Bonded. They both knew. No words were needed. But, still, the child spoke. "You're hungry, aren't you?" _

_Naito sat in the darkness, unmoving, as he recalled the memory. It had been many days since Leo had last come by with food. Naito stretched his clawed right hand and scraped the sharp claws against the stone floor in anxious though. His stomach gnawed. Naito frowned. His left eye was a milky white orb that glowed in the darkness. He tapped his claws against the stone in worry._

_Had Leo gotten hurt? Perhaps he should have sent the turtle away earlier, like he had thought to. Naito straightened his spine and winced at the pain that his mangled body released through damaged nerves. He would need to search for Leo. He would need to find food._

_Naito dropped himself onto his stomach and began his painful crawl._

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**A/N: Alright, so, any questions? Any comments? Constructive criticism is always welcome, as well! Tell me everything you can, make those reviews as long as possible! Thanks, guys, your reviews make my day! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So... Someone reviewed recently and asked for me to "cut down" on the creepy bits with Naito. My answer to that is: look at the genre of this fic. It's under horror/crime. I'm kind of obliged to keep the creepy. Besides, I already have the plot written out and I need to have those bits in there for this fic to make any sense. Believe me, when all is revealed about Naito, you might like the creepy bits. Anyways, that's all for now. Please read, review, and enjoy. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

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"Oi! Don't push, Mikey!"

"Then move your fat shell, Raph, I'm trying to watch the news!"

"When d'ya ever watch the news, numbskull?"

"Since Don bet me twenty bucks that I couldn't sit through two hours of watching weather forecasts and stock changes!"

The red masked turtle, now standing next to the large stack of television screens rather than in front, stared at his brother. Mikey was sitting on the couch with his arms crossed over his plastron. He gave Raphael an annoyed look. Raph frowned. "Don made a bet like that? Why would he pay ya' fer' somethin' so… stupid?" Raph asked. Mikey shrugged and glanced at the main screen. "Don's weird sometimes." Was the only answer he offered. Raph sensed something else at work. Don wasn't weird just to be weird. Usually there was a reason to his weirdness. He turned to the purple masked terrapin who sat at work at his computers. He strode over, ignoring Mikey's complaints as he passed front of the wall of television sets. Raph leaned heavily on the back of Don's chair. The young genius didn't seem to notice as he was deeply concentrated on his work. Raph slapped his hand down on Don's head, eliciting a surprised shriek from the usually quiet turtle. Don stiffened and he relaxed as heard Raph's throaty chuckle. Don turned the chair about, glaring at his brother. "Yes, it's all very funny, Raph. Can't you see that I'm working here?"

Raph smirked. "Yeah. I can see that. I have a question though, Donnie. Why'd you pay Mikey t'watch some weather channel and that stock change crap?"

The genius chuckled and swiveled back to his computers. "He kept asking me stupid questions about making him some wings or something of the sort. He wouldn't stop. He even gave me a color scheme and some feathers from an arts and crafts store. I had to get him to shut up. You know how he gets. Plus, I'm investing in some stocks. Pizza doesn't pay for itself and neither does my equipment." Don explained as his eyes flicked over the computer screens. Raph frowned. "Stocks? Don't get me wrong, brainy, but that sounds like a bad idea. Yer' gonna' lose out on yer' investments." Raph said as he moved to stand next to Don. "Why don't you just take a job as an IT guy or somethin' if you're in such dire need of money?"

Don laughed at that and typed away on his keyboard. "Raph, if I can develop a genetic code to stabilize the mutagen in our system, successfully too, I'm pretty certain that I can successfully invest and make money on the stock exchange." Don said with a confident smirk. Raph rolled his eyes. "Yer' smart, but ya' can't predict the future, Don. Yer' gonna' make us go broke." He said with a shake of his head. A flash of movement caught the red masked turtle's eye and he turned. "Hey, Leo, can ya' talk some sense into this one? He's babblin' 'bout makin' money off the stock exchange. I think he's just gonna' make us broke."

The blue masked terrapin, who had just come down from his room, frowned and approached. He had just been meditating and was unaware of what was going on. He had been drawn out of his meditation by a particularly loud and high pitched sound, which had probably been Donatello. "What's this about going broke?" He asked in a concerned tone, placing a hand on the desk and leaning on it casually. His gray eyes caught Donatello's annoyed expression. Don shook his head with an exasperated sigh. "Raph's just overreacting. I'm gonna' invest in some stocks and try to make some money to fund some of the techno-stuff we've got around here."

Leo glanced at Raph and back to Don. Raph shrugged. Leo sighed and pinched the bridge of his snout. "Why stocks? Why don't you just get some sort of online job, Donnie? That seems more your style than investing in random corporations."

Don shook his head. "I'm not interested in working some dead end job for the next ten years, Leo. I'll be miserable. I'll be irritable. We've been over this scenario before." Don replied. Leo straightened and stretched his arms. "Well, okay then. Just be careful and don't make too many bad decisions. We don't have that much money to begin with." Don nodded. "Don't worry; I'm using my own savings." He added. Leo looked thoughtful for a moment. He then smiled and clapped Don on the shoulder. "Oh. Well in that case, there's no need for us worry. You can make as many bad decisions and be as careless as you want." Raph snickered at that and Don blanched before sputtering out a reply. "I know what I'm doing, guys!"

"Last time I heard that, you blew up the fridge and we had take-out for three months." Raph pointed out. "Oh come on, I was like ten." Don sighed. Leo grinned at Raph. "I was thinking more about the time he broke the entire box of stink bombs that Mikey had saved up."

"Oh yeah, I remember that, the lair stank for weeks!" Raph chuckled. Don gave them both an irritated look. "That's the thanks I get for all the cool stuff down here, huh? I'll make plenty of money off of this, just watch."

"Well, if you're so sure, how about a little bet?" Raph interjected with a sly grin. Don raised an eye ridge. "I'm already stuck in a bet with Mikey, Raph."

The red masked terrapin grinned at that. "Well, if you're so certain that you'll lose…" Don shot him a glare and Leo chuckled. "Fine then. How much?"

"Fifty."

"Fifty?!"

"Oh, sorry, bro. I meant sixty."

Don's gaze narrowed. "You're evil. And you, Leo? Are you going to demand a bet as well?" Leo smirked. "I'm not that bad, Don. It wouldn't be right to take your money when you're broke." Leo kindly declined. Don gave him a look. "You guys are jerks."

"I'm TRYING to watch the news here!" An irritated Mikey called from the couch. Leo glanced at his youngest brother incredulously. "He's watching the news?" His voice hinted his surprise. "Don paid him." Raph replied, heading towards the kitchen before flicking the back of Don's head. The purple masked turtle shot him a look and turned back to his computer. Leo followed his red masked brother. "Why?" He asked. "Mikey was bothering him about wings or somethin'." Raph replied with a yawn.

"Wings."

"Yeah. Mikey's weird."

"Explanation enough, I suppose."

Raph opened the fridge and retrieved a beer. Leo shook his head at the sight of the beer and grabbed himself a bottle of water before closing the fridge. He had given up on telling Raph that drinking was bad. Raph never listened when he did anyways. Leo watched his brother down a swig of liquor and hid his disgust. He would never understand how Raph could drink that foul tasting liquid. Raph glanced at him and frowned suddenly. Leo frowned in response. "What?"

"Yer' missing a katana."

Leo furrowed his brows and reached over his right shoulder with his free hand. His hand brushed up against a hilt. He reached over his left shoulder and met nothing but air. He stiffened. Where was his katana? It struck him like a heavy blow. He had forgotten it. Forgotten it in that alley, stuck in that man's forehead and covered in blood and bits of brain matter and splinters of bone. Leo swore under his breath and dropped his water bottle. He hadn't even thought of the killings he had undertaken on his moonlit walk since his brothers had woken up.

Raph stared at him, lowering the beer bottle from his lips. "Leo, you okay?"

"Awwww man! What now?" Mikey's voice rang out, catching everyone's attention. Their heads turned towards Mikey. "What's wrong, numbskull? Did Don already lose all his cash?" Raph asked. Mikey shook his head. "No. There's some special report thingy."

The brothers approached the couch, watching the T.V. "Turn it up, Mikey." Raph said. The younger turtle complied.

A dark haired male reporter was on screen with a solemn expression. "Earlier today, police received an anonymous tip about a disturbing smell in an alleyway just off of South Doyle. The smell had emanated from eight dead. Police believe that seven of the men were from a local gang and had initiated a fight with five other men from a rival gang. The deceased were inflicted with slashes along the throat from a blade and heavy bruising. It is believed that one of the rival gang members had turned on one from their own gang and killed him with the same blade. The chief of police has reported that this is just gang violence gone bad. He advises citizens to remain indoors during the night and keep all doors and windows locked." The reporter continued, rambling off about safety. Mikey turned the volume on the T.V. down and glanced at his brothers. Raph shook his head in disappointment. "Gangs. Murders. These streets need some serious cleanin' up. I knew that even wid' t'Shredder and Hun outta' action, that there'd be some bad shit goin' down… Shell… I'm up fer' bustin' some heads t'night. Let's teach 'em idiots t'go around killin' people." Raph growled, spinning a sai in one of his hands. The two younger brothers exchanged worried glances. They turned back to Raph. "Don't get me wrong, Raph, but this isn't our fight. That was some serious gang violence, but it was just gang violence. It's a job more fit for the police." Don intervened calmly. Raph turned to him with an angry glint in his eyes.

"No," Leo interrupted before Raph could start a fight. "Donatello is right. This is not our fight, Raphael. Those people that died were criminals. They were gang members who had probably killed many innocent people. This isn't like with the Shredder or even those few occasions we dealt with Purple Dragons. Innocents are not the victims here. Criminals are the ones who died. They probably just got what was coming to them. I couldn't imagine a better ending than one like this. If any innocents start getting hurt, then we've got reason to handle it, but there are none. Criminals are dying, let them. It's like cleaning a wound. So drop it, Raphael."

His brothers stared at him in shock. Had Leo really said that? The blue masked turtle stood, calm as ever, but with a fierce glint in his eyes. He understood himself then. He was no murderous monster. He had done what was right. They were all criminals. Murderers. Rapists. Monsters. He was right to kill them. He could feel a tug, deep inside of himself. His brothers continued to stare, unaware of his thoughts. Raph should have been angry, but he was more shocked than anything. He only nodded numbly. Leo glanced at his other two brothers. They nodded as well. Leo turned away, heading to his room.

Something still bothered him about that news report, but it wasn't about the killings. No. There was something missing in it all. He entered his room. It was dark. The only glow in the room was from the digital clock on his nightstand next to a neatly made futon. Five in the afternoon. Night would be falling soon. He approached the sword rack mounted to the wall. Several spare katanas rested on the rack. Each held a different hamon than the other. The hamon was the curved or straight line along the blade that determined what type of cut the blade could deal to a target. He lifted one from the rack and unsheathed it with a hiss as the blade left the scabbard. The blade was smooth. Flawless. The hamon looked like a line of flames that danced along the length of the blade, separating the back of the katana from the edge of it. He ran a finger down the smooth length of steel, wincing slightly as a thin line of blood welled from touching the blade. He nodded. This would be his katana's replacement, for now. He sheathed it on his shell and glanced at the clock. Not five minutes had passed. He was growing restless. He wanted to be outside. He needed to start looking for his katana. He froze. It suddenly clicked together. The reporter hadn't said anything about a weapon being _found_ at the crime scene.

Surely a katana would be something to report. Leo frowned. He knew he had left it in the man's skull. He had no doubt about it. He cursed under his breath. He also remembered that he had left three living witnesses. One of them must have taken it. A growl rumbled in his throat. Some criminal had touched his katana and had it now. His most prized possession was in the hands of a human who probably didn't even know how to use it. Leo glanced at the clock. He would search tonight. He would find it.

-.-.-.-.-.-

_His breaths came in ragged gasps as he dragged himself through sludge. He had not eaten in a long time and Leo had never returned. Naito was worried by that. Leo should have been back by now. The one thing that kept Naito moving was his worry. How could he have been so foolish to keep the young turtle by his side? Naito growled under his breath and reached out with his clawed hand. His claws dug into the muck and he pulled himself forward. What if Leo was hurt? What if Leo was dead? Naito snarled at the thought and he moved his arm faster, dragging his body violently through the disgusting sludge. The muck coated his body and filled his nose with a horrid stench. Suddenly pain surged through his body from his useless left arm. He bit his tongue and tasted blood. Naito released a ragged breath and shuddered as aftershocks of pain surged through him. Warmness filled his useless arm. He froze._

_Naito turned to regard his limb. His un-clawed hand twitched. Naito forced his body into a sitting position. Another surge of pain flashed through him. He clenched his jaw through the pain and kept his eyes fastened on his left arm. Something was surprisingly… right. He could feel the limb. Naito stared at it. His hand tightened into a fist and his eyes widened in shock. How was this possible? He hadn't been able to move his hand for years, yet now his entire arm was moving. Elbow bending, fingers closing, shoulder rotating… he reveled in the simple movements. A fierce glint entered his one good eye._

_There was a plaintive squeak behind him. Naito's right arm whipped out swiftly. His claws tore through a small furry body. He brought the rat into view. It was dead. He had killed it. He licked his lips. When was the last time he had eaten? Naito couldn't quite remember. He lifted the rat to his mouth and tore into it with powerful jaws. He ripped flesh from bone, relishing the taste of something fresh and bloody. Meat. Why had Leo never brought him something like this? He had not had fresh meat in so long. He hastily greedily devoured the rat, crushing tiny bones and savoring warm and bloody flesh. He licked the blood from his claws when he finished. His milky white eye glowed with energy. He had enjoyed the meal. Now it was time to continue his search._

_Naito flexed his left arm. It was thin in comparison to his right arm. He would fix that. Naito lowered himself onto his stomach and, with renewed vigor, he dragged his body forward, using two arms now._

-.-.-.-.-.-

Leo sat vigil on a rooftop, waiting. The moon was behind clouds, it was a lightless night. He did not have to worry about being outlined. He had looked in on the three humans that he had left alive the previous night. They were members of some small street gang and that was all he knew of _them_. The gang, a group of maybe twenty individuals, was an unorganized rabble. He gazed down on their hideout. His cold gray eyes were calculating. They hid in a miserable little warehouse that had been abandoned for awhile now. His eyes scanned over the warehouse. He didn't know how many were in there, but he wanted his katana back. Leo's eyes narrowed. Movement. A young male in a gray sweater was walking towards one of the entrances. Leo hadn't seen him before. He knew that this human would not be making it into the warehouse.

He dropped to the ground—behind the young male—landing in a crouch and absorbing the shock with his ankles. The human turned around and Leo struck the side of his neck in a chop with his left hand. The male's eyes rolled back and he tumbled to the ground unconscious. Sure, he was a killer now, but he had principles. He wouldn't kill anyone whose guilt he didn't know. Leo dragged the man's body into the shadows of the warehouse's exterior. He then silently entered through a slightly ajar door.

He slunk low to the ground, almost in a crawl, but not quite. The warehouse was empty, save for a few beat up cars, a stack of a dozen crates and seven humans sitting around one crate talking in hushed tones. On the crate they sat around was his beloved katana, bloodstained and alone. His eyes narrowed. He spotted a female with bright green hair that was spiked up into a mohawk. Leo's eyes narrowed. He had heard about her. She was the leader of this ragtag group. She had killed enough people to ensure they were afraid of her. Leo would not regret killing her, especially not after keeping his precious katana from him.

Leo stood. Seven humans were not a threat to him. He walked forward, unsheathing his katanas from his shell. He wouldn't kill all of them. He would kill her, definitely. Leo continued walking; slowly coming into the light that was a few floodlights. He rushed forward before any of the humans could turn to see him. He hurled black objects from his left hand. They struck the ground and clouds of smoke erupted immediately. Leo hurled shuriken at the flood lights, there was a sound of shattering glass and darkness claimed the light, swallowing it whole. The humans were screaming and running now. Leo didn't mind that. He stood by the crate. He sheathed both katanas on his shell and reached for the one he had been missing. His hand wrapped around the hilt and a feeling of relief filled his body. Another hand wrapped around his. It was feminine, but calloused. There was a surprised gasp and Leo's free hand whipped out and grabbed the woman by the throat. He slammed her to the ground and she went limp in his grip. The other humans were running, the sounds of doors opening echoed in the warehouse.

Leo's eyes began to adjust to the darkness and the smoke cleared. He could make out the woman's mohawk hair and her slim frame now. His grip tightened on the katana. Could he really kill her? Sure, he had killed eight men before. This should've been child's play for him, but he hadn't quite been himself when he made those kills. Henceforth, how could he kill this woman now? She stirred, coming to her senses. She screamed and clawed the hand that held her throat. Leo panicked and his katana swung down, impacting with a wet crunch as it struck her skull. Bloody splattered on his snout messily. Bits of brain were stuck to his emerald green skin. He shuddered, feeling the warmth leave her skin and her pulse falter. Her eyes stared listlessly at him. Leo released a shaky breath. A strange tingly feeling filled his body with warmth. He felt the tension ease from his body and he relaxed. A sound escaped his mouth. A bitter-sweet sound. He knew what it was. It scared him, part of him. Another part of him relished it. He closed his eyes and breathed in. He tugged the katana blade free from her skull and more blood came with it.

He knew the feeling then. It was… excitement. Not your average "Mikey" excitement either. No. It was different. It was so much more than that. It was pure sensational pleasure. Extreme pleasure. Never before had he experienced such a thrill. Thrill. Yes, that's what it was. A pleasuring thrill. It was still more. There was more to it. A wave of relief had accompanied his thrill. He had never felt such a strong sense of relief. It was overwhelming. He could feel his stress lift. He loved this feeling. It was spectacular. One would think he would be frozen by fear because of the blood. Hell, he would think that the sight of blood would make him remember the accident and... it did. However, not in the sense that it usually would. No. He didn't feel fear from it. He felt power. Strength. Control.

Leo stood and flicked the blood from his blade. Still, he could see there was a crusty layer of blood, brain, and bone on his katana. No matter, he would fix that later. He wanted to feel the rush again. He wanted to kill again before the night was through.

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**A/N: Alright, so I'll spill. As the story progresses, we will start seeing how Leo and Naito progress and what happened in the past. I'll address the accident as well. As for Leo's killing spree... we'll see in the next chapter how it ends. Don's stock ventures and that bet he made with Raph? ;) We'll just have to see!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here's my Christmas present to you guys! A surprise update! I hope you like it, and it WILL be moving a lot faster now that everything has caught up. Well, I'll leave you to read. Enjoy, and please review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

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One Week Later

"Maybe we can work this out, man. How much money? Name a price! Any price! I swear I'll pay it!" A panicked male voice cried out in the dark house. The man was strapped down to a table, his arms and legs were tied down with a lot of duct tape. The man wore wrangler jeans and a long sleeve shirt. His forehead was taped to the table as well; his eyes darted about though, searching for his captor.

There was a sighing sound. "I'm not interested in any material gain. That's definitely not going to save you, Chester." A calm voice said from the dark. His captor stepped into the candle light and Chester froze at the sight. His captor looked like some sort of green demon. Upon closer inspection he appeared to be a turtle. The turtle wasn't too tall, maybe about five feet at the most, but he was muscular. The turtle was toned like an Olympic athlete. Chester swallowed uneasily at the sight of the turtle's gray gaze underneath a blue mask. Chester found opened and closed his mouth, trying to get something out. "Speechless, Chester? That's not what your victims would say, now would they?" The turtle asked, tossing several photographs at him. Chester's eyes followed each one; they were all women and children. His blue gaze flashed back up to the turtle's. "No I-I didn't mean to kill them! It was an accident!"

"An accident?" The turtle asked incredulously. "Twenty seven murders is an accident? I don't think that's how _they_ felt about it." He said, nodding his head in the direction of the photographs that lay scattered about the floor and table. Chester's breathing quickened. "Why are you doing this?!" He screamed at the turtle.

The turtle leaned against the island countertop. "First, killing is an excellent stress reliever. Second, you're a murderer who escaped the "system". I can't very well kill an innocent. It's against my code. I kill people like you so that innocents can live. With you gone, there's one less killer on the streets. Now, there's no way I could let you go. You know who and what I am now. It would be a really dumb move on my part for me to just let you… Oh, hold on. I'm getting a phone call." Leo said as his shellcell vibrated in his belt. He shoved a dirty rag into Chester's mouth and answered the phon.

"Hey, Mikey. Hm? Eggs? But I don't have any cash on me… Fine. Fine. I'll figure it out. Alright, yeah, I'll be home soon. Yes, I'll be there for dinner. Alright. Yeah. Yes. Okay. Bye. Yes. Bye. Bye. Goodbye, Michelangelo." Leo sighed and hung up. His brother just never stopped talking. Leo glanced back at his victim. Leo was in Chester's house. It was dark and extremely cluttered. Leo removed the man's gag. He leaned up against an island countertop and gave another sigh. "Do you have any eggs?" Leo asked, he turned to look at the knives sitting on the counter in a block of wood. Chester stared at him incredulously. "Why would I answer that, ya' psychopath?!"

Leo traced a finger over the knife hilts, studying them. "Because when I'm done talking, you die." He answered as he picked through the knives. His victim groaned. "There's a pack of eggs in the fridge. I didn't use any."

Leo nodded an opened the fridge. He pried the eggs from the cluttered fridge and set them down on the counter. He turned towards Chester and approached the table. He leaned on it with both hands, bowing his head between his shoulders. "I still haven't gotten my brother a Christmas present. I'm a terrible person. I should've gotten him something already." Leo admitted with a sigh. Chester stared at him. Leo shook his head and pushed off the table, standing straight. "Do you know what a rough and tumble sort of guy would want for Christmas? I sure as hell can't figure it out." Leo asked Chester. He glanced at the knives and walked over to them. He hand-picked a butcher knife. He looked the blade over.

Chester tugged at his bonds. His left hand slipped some. His eyes widened. He needed to get his hand free if he had any hope of surviving.

"You don't sharpen these knives often, do you?" Leo asked as he walked back to Chester. The human's eyes went wide as Leo drew closer. "A rough and tumble sort of guy, r-right?"

Leo paused and stood there with the butcher knife in hand. "Yes. Why?"

"Have you gotten something like a gun?"

"He doesn't like guns."

"How about a… A…"

"A what?"

"An electric guitar?" Chester asked, he wriggled his left hand as he said this and it began to slide through the tape. The tape tore at his skin but he ignored it. He needed to keep this crazy killer turtle occupied. "An electric guitar. That sounds promising. Do you have one?"

Chester nodded enthusiastically. "It's in my bedroom." Leo nodded once. He walked around the table, turning his shell to Chester. The human tugged his left hand vigorously. His hand slipped through the tape and he sighed in relief as he stretched his fingers and lifted his arm up.

A butcher knife slammed down on Chester's left arm, just between the elbow and the upper arm. Chester screamed in pain, tears blurred his vision. Leo tugged the blade free with a sucking sound and repeated the blow.

Crack!

Chester's forearm fell to the ground with a thump, spattering blood about. The butcher knife was stuck to what remained of Chester's arm. The human whimpered. Leo released his grip on the blade, leaving it stuck. "Let's see if you were really telling the truth about this guitar of yours." Leo said, turning on his heel and heading down a hallway. He walked down it and opened the door to the bedroom. Sure enough, a mint condition electric Epiphone guitar sat in an open guitar case on the bed. It was crimson in color with black edging. Leo couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised. He turned back and walked towards his captive.

Chester was pale and dark crimson blood pooled beneath his body. It began to stream down to the ground in a flood that pulsed with his heart beat. Leo removed the blade from Chester's arm, pulling it out with a sickening sound. "I have to thank you for the eggs and the guitar. You saved Christmas, Chester. I'll keep this short since you were so helpful. Bye." Leo said before bring the butcher knife down on Chester's neck. Blood spurted with the strike but Leo didn't allow it to land on him. He was becoming good at this killing thing. He released his grip on the butcher knife and walked over to the sink. He lifted the handle of the faucet and washed away any blood that may have stained his hands. He then grabbed the eggs and hurried to Chester's bedroom. Chester's neighbors weren't home yet, but he knew that someone had probably heard the screams. Leo closed the guitar case and opened the window across the room. He stepped out and onto a fire escape. He closed the window behind him. He walked down the fire escape and dropped into an alley. He had only killed one tonight. That would be Chester. He was actually saving five others for tomorrow. A little Christmas present for himself.

Lately, though, he'd only killed a few, but he had spent a lot of time with those few. His first real kill, the mohawked gang leader name Karen Shinigami, had been messy but special. He had learned a lot from that one. He had learned that he couldn't let his excitement get the better of him. He had killed five more that night. It was great. However, something had been missing from his kills and it wasn't one of his katanas. He realized then that he had been senselessly killing. He needed to know his victims. He needed to talk to them. Get a feel for them. Then he could really enjoy killing them. The first time he had spent that kind of time on a kill was just three days ago. A male rapist named Gerard Halls. Leo had really enjoyed killing him.

The blue masked terrapin removed a manhole cover and dropped into the sewers before placing the cover back on. His brothers still didn't know about his killing sprees. They didn't need to. He had watched the news with them concerning the recent killings; the dead had all died at his hand. His brothers only showed their contempt for the murders. Raphael was the worst. He wanted to stop all the gang violence and find that one gang who had done it. Yes, the police still thought it was gang violence and they suspected that the gang Leo had dealt with was rising in power.

He snorted at that. Rising in power? That gang was history now. He had killed their leader, they were done and over with.

Leo calmly walked through the sewers, heading to the lair. Ever since he had begun killing, he'd experienced a stress free sensation. He hadn't fought with Raph or anyone else. He was really enjoying his time with his brothers… as well as his time spent with cutthroats and murderers.

Leo's nightmares about the accident had become rare. He laughed at that. The accident didn't even bother him now. He was so well accustomed to seeing blood now that all the flashbacks had become distant memories.

He entered the lair with a serene expression. "Mikey, I got the eggs." Leo called out softly. He stashed the guitar behind the Christmas tree that had been set up near the T.V.s.

"Good! We can't have eggnog without eggs!" Don called from the kitchen. Leo walked towards the kitchen and placed the eggs on the counter. "Wow, you guys are cooking together? There's something new." Leo said with a chuckle. Michelangelo, wearing a flowery apron that said "kiss the cook", stood at the mixer, pouring ingredients into it. Don stood at the stove, stirring some sort of broth. Raphael sat at the kitchen table, rolling cookie dough into little balls and placing them on cookie sheets. He had cookie dough on his face, which led Leo to believe that not all of the dough was going to make it into the oven. The two resident cooks shot Leo a glare while Raph grinned at him. "Weird, right?"

"Raph! Quit eating all the cookie dough!" Don cried, mortified. Mikey snickered and Raph replied by munching on a large chunk of dough. Leo chuckled. Don glanced at his brother and frowned. "Leo, you look… a little under the weather." The older turtle frowned. He felt fine, healthier than ever. "Go look in the mirror if you don't believe me." Don said.

Leo, still frowning, turned and headed to the bathroom. He turned to the mirror and froze. His gray eyes scanned his reflection. He brought a hand up to his face and his breath quickened. He swiftly closed the bathroom door and turned back to the mirror. He yanked his mask off and stared in horror. A faint trace of red was splashed from the corners of his eyes and pale yellow lines were streaked down his face. The markings were faint and his mask could hide the red marks but it worried him. He had thought they were gone for good after he had turned seven. His brother didn't have any markings like him. They never had after they had mutated. He had had them since he was a normal turtle. They didn't fade away after he mutated, until he was seven. Leo cursed under his breath. What did it mean?

He needed to have Don get a look at the markings but he was afraid Don would find out about his secret. He didn't care about the accident anymore, but his brothers… they didn't know the half of what had gone down that day. They didn't know about… _Naito_.

Leo released a ragged breath. Naito. It had been so long since he had thought of that name. Naito. He swallowed. His brothers could never find out about Naito. Never. He couldn't let Don have a look at his markings. He didn't want any trace of evidence about Naito being discovered. Leo placed his mask back on, hiding the faint red marks. The faint yellow marks would have to be covered with green paint or something of the sort.

-.-.-.-.-.-

_Naito stood. Yes. He stood. He was not sitting. He was not laying. He was standing on two legs. Two fully recovered legs. Naito flexed his left arm. It was nearly as muscular as his right arm. Still, he knew he was not whole. Naito had been searching for Leo for about a week now. He had found no trace of the turtle except for subtle scents here and there. He was getting closer. He knew it._

_Naito had been feeding on the rats he had found here and there, it had helped him. His body was recovering at a steady but quick rate. It was strange. He had spent years with no strength. No ability. He had not even been able to feed himself, yet now he was so much stronger. He could do things on his own now. He knew he owed someone though. He owed Leo for the help he had given him. Naito had to find the turtle now, he was indebted to him. Naito leaned against a wall, his clawed hand clicked lightly as it touched stone. He had heard voices._

_"Run, Mikey! Raph's gonna' catch us!" A soft and young voice echoed through the sewer tunnel. Naito crouched down and pressed himself against the stone. He didn't want to be seen. His one eye scanned the darkness, swallowing the little light that was available underground. There was a sound of feet splashing in the water and panting as small bodies ran. Naito's sharp eye caught sight of them. His breath caught in his throat. Turtles. They were turtles, almost identical to Leo. One wore a purple mask and the other wore an orange one. Naito stared. Masks. Just like Leo._

_The turtles were running from something. Naito froze in shock. It was another turtle. This one had a red mask instead. The red masked turtle was gaining on the other two. He released a cry of victory as he tackled the pair. Naito watched from deep within the shadows. His one eye flicked down the tunnel to another set of padding feet. He stiffened. A blue masked turtle._

_Leo, for that was who it was, leaped onto the other three turtles. He was laughing. "You guys should have been worried about me!"_

_Naito dropped his gaze to the ground. He didn't understand. Leo wasn't hurt. He wasn't captured. Leo was okay. So… why hadn't he come to help Naito? Why hadn't he given Naito food? Naito clenched his hands into fists. He could feel his muscles tense up. He knew the answer. He knew it, but he didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to believe it. Naito watched the turtles laugh and run back in the direction they had come from. Something wet touched his cheek and his one good eye blurred. He blinked in confusion. What was this?_

_He brought his un-clawed hand up to feel… water? His eyes gave off water? That couldn't be right. He swallowed, his throat suddenly felt raw and cold. He glanced back in the direction the turtles had disappeared. A soundless gasp escaped his mouth. He dropped to his knees and hugged himself._

_He knew the answer._

_Leo had abandoned him._

_Leo had left him to starve._

_He released an anguished cry and more of the strange water streamed from his eyes. His small frame wracked with sobs._

_Leo had left him to die._

-.-.-.-.-.-

The blue masked turtle sat on the couch, sipping a cup of tea as Mikey sat in front of the Christmas tree, bouncing eagerly. He glanced to the other two brothers who sat beside him. They were watching Mikey bounce up and down. Leo gave a small snort and sipped from his tea. Mikey was waiting for Santa Clause to deliver gifts to all the good turtles. Leo knew that his three brothers would likely fall asleep before any fat man arrived to leave presents.

It was his duty to set them out while they were asleep. He had stashed away the gifts that Splinter had left behind for this very purpose… as well as a letter from their sensei.

Leo knew that no fat man would ever come to give away free stuff all wrapped up and topped with a little bow. His brothers suspected it as well, but presents still seemed to show up under the tree without them knowing. Leo chuckled, of course his brothers didn't believe in Santa Clause. Leo and Master Splinter had just kept up with the tradition. The others liked to believe that there was some Christmas magic to it all.

Leo liked to think that as well. There were five criminals waiting for him with no familial ties or friends. That was a magical gift in itself, wasn't it?

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**A/N: I did say that I would reveal more about Naito, now didn't I? Please, do review, it'll be my little Christmas present from you guys :) Alright. Happy holidays, everyone! I'll be updating in a few days.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: So I saw that the last chappy didn't get too many reviews... Please review, my dear readers! It's my motivation! Anyways, I hope everyone has enjoyed the holidays, I know I did. So a lot of people are updating today, it's pretty cool, and now I'm in on it too! I got some new gadgets! Anyways, I'd like to add that I do read EVERY review and if you have any ideas to help out with this fic, I would really love to see them. Please read :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

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His breath came out in short puffs of steam as he sprinted across the rooftops. His steely gray gaze was fixated upon a group of men. He had been tailing them for awhile now, they were drunkards. He could smell the alcohol of their breaths from his place on the rooftop. He slowed his movements as he noticed the men were following a pair of women. The men were issuing taunts and whistles as they followed, obviously not intending to treat the women to a lovely dinner. The air was still. The night was silent, with the exception of the far off traffic and the men's cat-calls.

Leonardo glanced back at his red masked brother, who had been just keeping up with him. Leo nodded in the direction of the men and Raphael nodded in reply. The two ninjas broke away from their usual route and dropped into an alley, easily melting into the shadows. They moved towards the entrance of the alley, waiting for the women to pass.

Leonardo was not in the best of moods. He wasn't angry but neither was he happy. He was feeling peeved at the moment. Leo hadn't killed in several days. He hadn't been able to with Raph following him around everywhere. The blue masked turtle wasn't certain as to why his brother was so interested in following him. Raphael had been acting a bit odd over the past few days. Too eager. Too nervous. Too… _different_. It was like Raphael had a personal vendetta against him. Leo didn't understand it. He hadn't done anything to upset his hot headed brother. What had set Raphael off? Was it the guitar? Leo could have sworn that Raph liked it.

His gray gaze turned towards the end of the alley. He watched the two women hurry past in a very nervous and desperate manner. Leo felt his pulse quicken and mentally cursed himself. So close to the hunt, he could feel the blood pounding in his veins. Blood. Sometimes it set his teeth on edge—made his blood boil, other times; it helped him control the chaos and calmed him in a way that nothing else could. Even his meditations and time spent with his family didn't do what blood did for him. Not didn't. _Couldn't_. Leo didn't know if he had it in him to restrain himself from killing. He hadn't been in a common brawl in weeks; he hadn't held himself back from killing. These men that he was about to fight were rapists and murderers. He knew that. Their crimes and guilt were like stains upon the earth. It was all too tempting. He had to admit that the call of the blood was setting his teeth on edge right now.

The men were there now. At the end of the alley, laughing drunkenly and now singing, the men had paused under a street lamp. Raphael moved, not held back by hesitation like Leo. He waded out of the shadows and struck one of the men in the jaw. The man went down quick. The others turned. Leo counted about six of them. Raphael popped his knuckles with a smug glare towards the men. Leo's mouth twitched. He so wanted to kill them. Raph rushed forward, slugging two other men and sending them careening to the ground. They stood no chance against Raphael in their drunken states. Leo had never noticed how much his usually out of control brother actually controlled himself. All it would take for Raphael to kill was a strong enough strike the chest or neck. But Raph wasn't a killer. He couldn't do what Leo did. He was still innocent in that way. Leo found it unsettling.

Leo remained still; he didn't want his killer urges to take over. He wasn't sure if he could hold back a finishing blow after spending so much time letting go of his control. Raph glanced at his brother questioningly after noticing Leo's lack of movement. The distraction cost him. Raphael received a solid uppercut that sent him reeling back, clutching his jaw with one hand and trying to balance himself with the other. A blur of green darted past Raph. Leo struck the attacker's face with a solid hammer fist. There was a crack as the man's nose broke. He cried out in pain and his head whipped back from the blow. Leo sweep kicked the man and a fierce glint entered his eyes. The human hit the ground hard, wheezing through broken cartilage and blood. Leo stared at the man before kneeling down next to him. He pressed his hand to the human's throat, crushing his windpipe. After a few seconds the human struggled underneath his grip, his lungs screaming for air. Leo only pressed harder and felt sudden warmth enter him. It tingled inside of him, he recognized this feeling. He needed to stop. He felt the muscles in his arm tense as he forced his hand off the man's throat. The human had passed out, but he wasn't dead. Leo exhaled, his pent up urges were going to get the better of him if he didn't kill soon.

He turned back to his brother. The red masked turtle rose to his feet, he seemed to have a foul taste in his mouth. Leo's brow furrowed. He stood and approached his brother. "What happened?" He asked, worry creeping into his voice.

Raph spat something out of his mouth before he shot Leo a look. "The dumb fuck broke a tooth."

Leo sighed at that. "You should have paid attention."

"Shut up. I didn't see you helping."

"I thought you were the one turtle wrecking crew. The lone ranger. The-"

"Shut up."

Leo couldn't suppress a chuckle at that. His eyes caught on a crimson rivulet snaking down from the corner of Raph's mouth. He froze and stared. Raph's gaze narrowed. "What?"

Leo reached out and delicately swiped the blood from his brother's skin before flicking it off his hand. "Just some blood." Beautiful. Dark. Crimson. Blood. The one thing that captivated him and tore away all his layers of control and calm. Blood was his condemning mistress. She could draw out the passion in him while nothing else could. It both terrified and thrilled him. That was what differed between him and Raph. When Raph saw red, he was consumed by rage. When Leo saw red, he was consumed by hunger for thrill and pleasure.

He shook his head. This was not the time to be thinking those thoughts. His brother was here. His brother could never know the type of monster he was.

"Yo, Leo, ya' comin' or what? I already called the cops about them."

Leo glanced up to see his brother was already scaling the side of a building. Leo nodded and raced after him, ignoring the need inside of him. The need to kill.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Leo and Raph entered the lair, the entrance swung shut behind them, creaking as gears grinded. "Leo, Raph, you might want to see this." Donatello's voice called from the couch. Raph glanced at Leo. "Maybe he invested in some bad stocks." Raph said with a grin as they approached. Leo grinned in response. Both of their grins vanished instantly as they saw what was on T.V.

Mikey and Don sat on the couch, both shared numb looks. Raph and Leo stared at the T.V.s in a mix of surprise and horror. The former was written plainly on Leo's features.

The reporter, a woman with delicate features and long brown hair tied neatly in a bun, held a solemn and slightly shaky demeanor. She looked like she had seen something terrifying. She cleared her throat and began her report. "Police have found a warehouse with seven bodies inside, most of the deceased were members of a small gang. The bodies were mutilated and covered in blade wounds. They were initially dismembered and then killed by decapitation. We advise viewers to avert your eyes from this content. It contains gruesome images." She began. The screen faded out and images of cut up bodies appeared on the screen. The people that the pieces might have been were no longer recognizable. Blood stained everything. Everything was red. Mikey gagged and turned away from the T.V. while Raph paled. Don and Leo stared, the latter with calm and the former with horror.

The reporter faded back into view and cleared her throat again. "Police are investigating this series of murders. It is unknown as to who killed these gang members, but police suspect that another gang had a hand in this."

"Suspect!? What the fuck-" Raph began.

"Raph, be quiet, there's more." Don interrupted calmly, although his voice had a tremor in it. The hot headed turtle glared at his brother but kept his mouth shut.

The reporter continued. "In other news, a man named Chester Remsworth was found dead in his apartment. A former criminal with several assault charges and dropped murder cases, Remsworth was a solitary man. A concerned neighbor had noticed a faint odor coming from Remsworth's apartment as well as Remsworth's sudden disappearance and found him taped down to a kitchen table with his arm severed and a butcher knife in his throat. Based on the forensics reports, Remsworth was murdered on Christmas Eve by a single attacker."

"Police advise all citizens to remain indoors during the night and to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity related to either of these crimes. That is all for tonight. If you have any information on these activities, please call the number on the bottom of the screen."

Don muted the television and turned to his brothers. Leo was staring at the material of the couch. He hadn't thought that the police would have found all of the bodies so quickly. The miracle was that they hadn't tied them to a single murderer. It was still very bad. He turned to his brothers. They were all staring at something or another with a numb expression. The first to speak was Raphael.

"What kinda' sick fucks are out there? Cutting people up inta' pieces and killin' em' in their own homes… How the fuck can anyone do that? Humans sicken me."

Leo found Raphael's last statement ironic, and nearly snorted in response. He covered it with a coughing sound. His brothers stared. "Sorry, I've been feeling sick lately." Sick because he hadn't killed in almost a week.

Don and Mikey exchanged glances. They'd been doing that a lot now. Leo would have been proud of the bond that the two had developed if he weren't so preoccupied with his new problem. Bodies. He needed to hide them better. He had left Remsworth in his apartment because Leo had no time to get rid of the body. The gang members were his first real kills; he didn't know what he was doing with them at the time. Leo considered that last thought. He didn't know what he was doing at all. Sure, he was killing criminals, but he had no agenda. He only killed at random and when he had the chance. It was sloppy. Disgusting. He needed a way to dispose bodies and he needed to make sure that his killing methods would not turn into patterns. That was how to get caught. Follow a pattern.

"Maybe we should start getting involved. Take out the gangs before anything else happens." Mikey said quietly. All eyes turned on him. That was a shocking thing to hear from him. Leo cursed under his breath. "We've been over this." Don said before Leo could open his mouth. The eldest froze at that, he would've thought that Don would be with Michelangelo on this one.

"Are you stupid? Don, people are dying!" Raph spat as he glared at the genius.

"It's still gang violence, Raph! They're not going to stop killing each other until one of them is dead or both!"

"They're still people." Mikey spoke up.

Don glanced at Leo, who remained silent through the exchange. "Leo, what do you think?"

Leo glanced up at his brothers. "It's a job for the police. Human problems. Not ours."

Raph swore loudly and Mikey's jaw dropped. Don only nodded. "Screw you both then! Mikey and I will kick their asses by ourselves! We don't need some pretentious fucking leader who doesn't do shit and a fucking desk jockey t'get in our way!" Raph spat in Leo's face. The older turtle's gaze narrowed. He could take a lot, but Raphael's total disrespect of him and his brother was getting on his nerves. Leo tensed and his cold gray gaze met Raph's angry amber one. Sensing a fight, Don moved over the couch and dragged Leo back. "Don't." The genius pleaded. Leo glared at Raphael for a moment before nodding once. He turned on his heel, shoulders squared, and walked towards his room. He needed some peace and quiet.

-.-.-.-.-.-

_Months passed since he had seen the extent of Leo's betrayal. Naito had followed the turtles' scents after he had overcome his grief. He was now lurking in a murky pool of water, peering through metal bars. His one working eye was caught on a robed rat speaking to the four turtles. Despite his hurt, Naito had decided to find out why Leo had left him, by doing so, he began watching them._

_The rat—Splinter—was talking to the turtles as they knelt before him. Naito's eye wandered over their home. It was lit by candles, nearly dark enough for him to creep about in the shadows. He found that thought pleasing. He caught sight of four small mats and a cot shoved into the corner of the small abode that was this… family's lair. His gaze flicked back to Splinter as the turtles rose onto their feet and entered a fighting stance. Naito knew all four by name now. Name. Leo had given him his name. Naito. Why that name? Perhaps he would ask Leo when he was ready._

_Naito removed the thoughts from his mind and watched as Splinter demonstrated a simple series of movements to the turtles. None of them seemed interested in the least. Naito frowned at that. Leo was watching Splinter with a bored expression and kept glancing at a strange rectangular device that seemed to glow with energy. Naito felt as if he should know what it was. He got his answer soon enough._

_"Leonardo!"_

_The blue masked turtle stiffened and turned to Splinter. The old rat gently rapped Leo on the head with a cane. "Computers will not save you when you are in danger, Leonardo."_

_Naito agreed with that statement. What could a glowing rectangle do? It seemed impractical._

_"What if you had something like… like menopause, daddy?" The orange masked turtle, Michelangelo, asked. He was clearly curious. Splinter stared in horror, as did Donatello and Leo. Raphael was looking around, not quite understanding what was going on. Splinter cleared his throat and straightened. "Where did you hear about that… word, Michelangelo?" He asked, clearly taken aback. The youngest turtle smiled innocently and pointed at Leo. The old rat turned quickly and Leo shot a surprised look at Michelangelo. "I did not! You're lying, Mikey!" Leo sputtered angrily. "Haha! Leo got in trouble!" Raphael taunted, pointing at the shocked blue masked turtle. Donatello couldn't hide his snickering. The rat was clearly peeved. Naito felt sorry for Splinter._

_"Quiet!" Splinter barked and all of the turtles were suddenly silent. "Leonardo, you are grounded from the computer for a week. Now, show me the kata I taught you four."_

_Naito slunk back. He had seen enough for today, the information had already been added to his repertoire. He had memorized every movement that Splinter had made. He turned and was back the way he came, traveling down current. After maybe an hour of swimming, he rose from the water and onto solid pavement in a dark dead end tunnel. He shook himself dry and stretched out his arms before entering a fighting stance, much like the one that Splinter had demonstrated. He then moved as Splinter had moved._

_Six years it had been, and he was only getting started. Leo had the advantage, but Naito would soon catch up. He would devote all of his time to perfecting this… fighting spirit. Naito had no doubt that he could easily defeat Leo with just his ability to move through shadows and remain unseen. He had grown in darkness and shadow was an extension of his body. He was born of shadow; it was as much a part of him as his limbs were._

_Yet, he was supposed to be dead. He would not be sorry to disappoint Leo. He would be very happy to talk to the turtle and "discuss" the abandonment. Naito stood and flexed his clawed hand. He slashed it against the wall of the tunnel, leaving scores against the stone. His one eye flashed angrily. He could not wait to _talk_ to Leo. _

-.-.-.-.-.-

Derik yawned and smacked his lips together lazily. He was bored. His scratched at his stubbly chin and popped his neck. He sat on a bar stool, a bottle of whiskey in one of his hands. The bartender, a sweet gal, kept shooting him suspicious glance. Derik had no doubt that she would want him out soon. He'd been drinking _too_ much. He snorted at that. Five bottles of whiskey and three shots of tequila didn't even give him a buzz. He stood, steady, on both feet and winked at her. "Put it on my tab, babe." He said before walking out. She cursed after him but knew better than to send the bouncers after him. The bouncers wouldn't last one round with that cutthroat. Derik was a known murderer, and he always got away with it.

Derik stepped into the cold air of Brooklyn. He didn't need to look at the street to know it was jam packed with cars like usual. Derik pulled a cigarette out of his trench coat pocket and lit it with a silver lighter. He dropped the lighter into his pocket and puffed on his cigarette. He ignored the rain that poured steadily and donned a beanie. He walked through a dark alley calmly. No one would dare to attack him.

He approached a building and walked up a long flight of stairs before coming to his apartment. He opened the door and closed it behind him, locking it. He was fearless but he wasn't stupid. After cleaning up, Derik sank into his bed, closing his stormy eyes and drifting to sleep.

"Vy spite dostatochno krepko dlyaubiytsy." (_You sleep quite soundly for a murderer_)A dark voice said from the darkness that surrounded him, interrupting Derik's sleep. Derik's eyes snapped open and he turned abruptly, falling out of the bed. "Vy budete sozhaletʹ priyezzhatʹ syuda, kogda ya sorvatʹ vashe gorlo otkryto." (_You're going to regret coming here when I rip your throat open_)He snarled, rising to his feet rather calmly. He held a cruelly barbed blade in his hand. It wasn't a common knife.

"We'll see." The voice returned steadily.

Derik's eyes searched his apartment but it was far too dark for him to see. Something solid and muscular grabbed him from behind, wrapping an arm around his throat. Derik recognized the sleeper hold for what it was. He knew how to beat it by not panicking like some common street rat. He jabbed his blade into his attacker and felt something warm splash over his hand. He twisted the blade and tore free from the hold. His attacker faltered and suddenly Derik was on his front. Something struck the back of his neck and his awareness faded away.

Leonardo swore a colorful stream of curses as he inspected the blade that had pierced the cup of hot chocolate he had held. He should have known better than to get hot chocolate before coming after his prey. He sighed. What's done is done. He flicked the liquid off the blade and placed it in his belt. Leo hefted Derik over his shoulder and climbed out the window he had left open. He dropped to the ground behind a parked car and opened the trunk. He tossed Derik inside and, after grabbing a roll of tape from a duffle bag, he taped Derik's wrists and ankles together. He tossed the tape back into the bag and quietly closed the trunk. He moved up to the front seat of the car and closed the door after getting in. He turned the key in the ignition.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Derik's eyes fluttered open and a sudden blinding light burned his eyes in his sockets. He winced and squinted through the painful light. He moved his hands to block it out but they wouldn't move. He looked down at his hands to find that they were taped down to a table, just as his feet were and his whole body. Derik struggled angrily, muttering curses in Russian.

"Calm down. We both know you're going to die here."

Derik turned to the sound of the voice and froze. A giant blue masked turtle was sitting on a stood to his right. Derik roared angrily and shook in his binds. The turtle slammed a hand down on the metal table and Derik froze at the sound. The turtle offered him a look filled with animosity. He held a box in his hands and he opened it. It was full of photographs. Leo upended the box on Derik.

"All of your known victims, here. Do you know how they felt when you tortured them? Pained? Afraid?" Leo asked. Derik glared at him. "I'm going to fuck you up just like I did to them."

Leo looked disappointed. He dropped the box on the ground and removed a cruelly barbed blade from his belt. It was Derik's knife. Derik laughed a cruel short bark. "You're telling me about my kills and then you take that knife out? You're gonna kill me? You think you're better than me!?" He roared at Leo. The blue masked turtle slammed his hands down on either side of Derik's head and pushed off. "Yes, I am." He said simply, turning away from Derik, he was looking over the blade.

Derik yanked at his bonds angrily and roared at him. "You're going to burn in hell when I kill you! I'll shit all over your corpse and drop you in the blackest shittiest hole I find!"

Leo laughed at that, a short cruel laugh. "No, I think I belong right here, Derik." He said as he turned around and approached.

"This isn't fucking over! This is over when I say it's over! I'm going to kill you!"

"It's over for you. Now quit moving or I'll miss." Leo said before driving the knife into Derik's ribcage, between the gaps of his ribs. Blood immediately seeped into Derik's shirt from around the wound. Leo nodded once. Derik was dead. Leo gathered up his duffle bag and flipped open a silver lighter as he began to exit the abandoned gardening shed. He tossed it into the shack, which had already been prepped with gasoline. As Leo passed by the car with a Purple Dragon emblem painted on the hood, the same car he had stashed Derik in, the shed shot up in flames.

* * *

**A/N: So, we see that Naito is plotting against little Leo and I would like to say that when Naito says six years, it's a reference to the turtles' ages. Also, there is still major gang turf war stuff going on and Leo is apparently taking advantage of it. I promise that the next update will be one that you guys will, hopefully I'm not mistaken, really enjoy! Thanks for reading, and please-please-please review.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: This is the longest chapter so far. Meh. It's cold now, so I've nothing better to do other than write and continue this fic. Man, this was fun to right, too! R&R? Please? :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. I probably never will.**

* * *

Hiding in the shadows of an alley, Leo watched his prey carefully. The woman he had stalked was standing behind a door, waiting for _her_ prey to arrive. Little did she know that she was not the only hunter on the prowl. The huntress would become the hunted. Leo's eyes took on a carnal glow as he considered how to best approach her. He swung his duffel bag behind him and he removed a garrote from his belt. The wire was thin but strong, much like the small wooden handles that Leo held in his hands. He moved through the shadows, trusting in them to hide him. He was behind her now, lurking in the shadows while she stood calmly underneath a hanging light. She puffed on her cigarette, releasing a plume of gray smoke.

She was a woman of maybe her late thirties with a wiry frame and a buzz cut. She wore a tight tank top despite the chill of the night and loose cargo pants. She looked ex-military, but Leo knew she far too much of a wild spirit to handle the rules of military life. He had looked into her. She was skilled. Experienced. Dangerous. She had many aliases from her killing methods. Butch. Arsonist. Slasher. Succubus. Two were more true than the others. She drew her victims to her using her wiles and her feminine curves. After her victims followed her "home", she would drug them up and tie them down before setting them on fire. She had become better at her trade over the years. Her victims were known to suffer slow deaths before being consumed by flames. Leo intended to end her killing spree.

He moved quickly, reaching over her head and wrapping the garrote wire over her neck. Her breath came out in a strangled gasp and she unsuccessfully tried to grab the wire. Leo tightened his grip on the garrote and dragged her into the shadows, her feet kicking as she struggled. Beads of blood were forming where the wire was tearing through her skin, but still she fought back. Her fingernails, sharpened to points, dug into his forearms. He ignored the pain as they sank into muscle. Leo's head whipped around just in time to see a large figure tackle him to the ground. Leo's hold on the garrote vanished and the woman leapt away, tearing the strangling item from her throat.

Large male hands wrapped tightened around Leo's throat violently. He struck the man's groin with a swift punch and tackled him as the man's grip slackened. He tuned just in time to slap a knife out of the woman's hand. She gave him a feral look and backed away. Leo rushed forward, his knee rising to strike her, only for two muscular arms to drag him down to the ground on his plastron. Leo started to twist free until something thin and sharp entered the side of his neck. His body slackened, no longer in his control as a liquid entered his bloodstream.

Leo's mind raced, but the drug was already clouding his thoughts. His eyes rolled back and he slumped unconscious, remembering nothing more.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Raphael sat on the couch, lifting a dumbbell with his right hand as he stared at the T.V. There was some sort of Batman marathon going on. The caped hero was in a club sipping orange juice and flirting with some broad. Raph rolled his eyes. No bad ass like Batman would drink orange juice in a club. He could feel the pull in his muscles as he bent and straightened his arm. He moved the dumbbell to his left hand and continued with the motions. He snorted at the sight of Batman dropping to the ground. Someone had spiked his orange juice. His mind turned to other thoughts as commercials began to hurl random slogans and "buy me!" approaches at him. He was actually feeling mixed emotions about one of his brothers.

Leonardo.

His older brother had acted distantly recently. He was becoming withdrawn and he never talked. Raph was finding it extremely weird. Leo hadn't nagged him about his drinking or his staying out with Casey. Leo actually seemed like he was avoiding everyone, spending most of his time alone. Raph hadn't seen him train in weeks and couldn't even recall the last time they'd had any family training sessions. Leo's usually strong sense of justice was diminished, nonexistent. It made Raph frustrated. Leo wasn't around very often, either. He had taken to sneaking around at night, Raph had followed him a few times but Leo had noticed. Something else was wrong with his brother. Whenever Leo saw his reflection, he had stared at it. He looked like he was afraid of something when he did that. That worried Raphael. Leo wasn't one to show fear. His older brother was definitely worrying him. Even Mikey and Don were noticing something was up with their "fearless" leader.

Raph's shellcell rang loudly, causing the turtle to drop the dumbbell on his foot. He cursed loudly and kicked it away. That only hurt more and a long stream of curses followed as it rolled away, almost taunting him with its slow roll. He reached into his belt and flipped the phone open.

"What?" He answered with an irritated tone even as he massaged his wounded foot. He frowned and straightened, forgetting his throbbing foot. "Slow down, LH. What happened with Leo?"

After a few minutes of muffled conversation, Raph swore a colorful stream of curses. "How long were ya' gonna wait t'tell any of us this?" He snarled angrily into the phone. "Nevermind! I'll call ya' later." He snapped, ending the conversation as his phone clicked shut.

He stood up from the couch and walked over to Don's lab, where he had heard his two younger brothers shouting in excitement. Raph barged in, shoving the door open. His brothers were sitting at another one of Don's desks, a laptop sitting in front of them, having been turned off quite quickly. Their shells were to Raph and Don sat in his customary rolling chair while Mikey was perched on the armrest. Don and Mikey turned in unison, their expressions were feigning calm, Raph could tell. He wasn't in the mood to deal with any pranks from either turtle and he slammed a hand down on the desk, making it sound like gun had decided to go off right then and there. His brothers sobered quickly, sensing something serious.

"We got a problem. LH called me. He said he was using a ram thing," Raph began.

Don raised an eye ridge. "The RAMS? LH was going to show me those a few weeks ago. They were supposed to be some sort of memory retrieval system in hologram form."

Raph's glare met Don and the younger turtle clamped his mouth shut. Mikey's eyes lit up with excitement and before he could make any sort of comment, Raph gave him a threatening glare. Mikey decided to keep quiet for the moment. He would get under Raph's shell later.

"Anyways, the ram thing brought up one of Leo's memories. It was the accident."

At those words, his brothers stiffened.

"That explains his irrational behavior." Don sighed.

"And his grouchiness." Mikey added.

Don glanced at him before shaking his head. He nodded to Raphael. "We need to go get him. We don't know what those suppressed memories are doing to his subconscious. This is very dangerous. He could be in a lot of danger. You guys should split up and search for him; I'll track his shellcell and stay here just in case he comes back." Don said.

His brothers nodded.

"I can't believe we didn't do anything sooner." He sighed as they left.

-.-.-.-.-.-

_Naito watched them climb up through the hole to the world of light. The surface world. He had not been there before, at least, not in a very long time. Naito considered following the turtles. He glanced about the dark tunnel and then to the stray beam of silvery light that filtered through the hole. His mouth twitched. He needed to be ready for the surface, in the unlikely case that he would need to travel up there. Naito swiftly clambered up the metal rungs and pulled himself up through the hole. Sudden blinding light mad him hiss and retreat back down into the hole. It was so bright!_

_He shook his head and with squinting eyes, he climbed back out and melted into the shadows behind a large metal bin of foul-smelling rotten food. Tears streamed from his sensitive right eye. How could the turtles be fine with the blinding light from that silver sphere in the ceiling of the surface world? The ceiling was dark, but the sphere was brighter than anything he had ever seen. He glanced about; his eye was slowly adjusting to the brightness. He heard shuffling in the corner of the alley and stared. His eye picked out two forms. His eyes widened. Humans._

_Naito could smell blood from the humans. One of them was definitely dead. It had only just died, too, from the smell of it. Naito felt his mouth salivate at the thought of fresh meat. This time, there would be no fur to get between him and the warm flesh. Naito moved through the shadows, his eye never leaving the living human. It was a threat. Naito would wait for it to leave. The human glanced around, searching for something and gave a relieved sigh as he spotted no others. Naito watched the human stand and move off towards the end of the alley. Naito approached the dead human slowly. His hunger subsided as soon as he saw her face. Tears remained in her vacant gaze and her mouth was still open with blood gently streaming out. He wondered at his sudden lack of hunger. It was a free meal. A meal large enough to keep him sated for days. Why couldn't he eat it?_

_A sudden piercing cry erupted from behind him. Naito turned swiftly just as a metal pipe struck the side of his face. Naito flew with the blow and impacted against a brick wall. He tasted his own blood in his mouth. Naito rose to both feet and glared at the human who had, for some reason, returned. Naito was smaller, only about four feet tall. The human wasn't very tall, but he stood at least five and a half feet tall. Naito was, for the very first time, in direct light. A thick layer of grime covered his skin and his one working eye glowed ominously as he considered the human. He stretched out his claws and offered the human a menacing and feral glare. The human only swung the pipe at him. Naito rolled aside and the pipe hit the ground where Naito had stood only a moment ago. Naito ducked between the human's legs and slashed at his calves with sharp claws. The human gave a cry and tumbled to the ground. The human rolled on his back and suddenly knew that he could not rise to his feet. He swung the pipe around, but Naito was well out of its reach. The human began weeping._

_"God… please… please… save me!"_

_Naito had moved forward to strike again but froze at that. This human was begging for its life. He stared. It was afraid. Afraid of him. Naito seemed frozen for a moment and the human stopped his weeping, hope registered in his eyes and a dumb smile found its way to his face. He thought he would be spared. Naito glanced at the dead human girl and back to the still alive human. The male had killed that girl. Naito was certain of it. He was now begging for his life after taking her's. Naito had killed many rats, he would not beg for his life if they turned on him. It was fair. It was right. It was just. Naito's gaze narrowed. "You make me sick." He said to the human in a voice that rasped from little use. He rushed forward and slashed the human's throat open with his claws. Blood sprayed wildly and Naito stared down at the deathly still human as the blood began to steadily flood out of his neck._

_Naito brought his claws up to his face and stared at the blood that streamed down his arm. He had never done that before. He had never killed a thinking thing. Always mindless rats or bugs. Always to cure his starvation. Never before had he killed out of hate. Disgust. Anger. Pity._

_"I've lost it." He breathed._

_"I know I can kill."_

-.-.-.-.-.-

Leo slowly opened his eyes. His vision was dark and fuzzy, as if he had just woken from sleep. He was lying on his shell, but he wasn't in his bed. He was lying on something flat and uncomfortable. He shook his head to clear his vision and started to sit up. Pain from his wrists stopped him. He dropped his gray gaze to his body and frowned. His ankles were tied to the wooden table he was lying on with barbed wire; his wrists were tied down in a similar way. Dry blood was stuck to his wrists where the barbed wire had cut him. He glanced at his surroundings. It was an old room, lit by candles on the wooden floor. Cobwebs decked most of the room. Wherever he was, he knew it had been abandoned for a long while. He pulled at his wrists and felt the barbed wire sink into his flesh. He kept his features unreadable. This was such a familiar situation. This was such an unsettling perspective.

"Hey there, hot stuff." A woman teased.

Leo turned his head to see his former target smiling at him coyly from seat in an armchair across the room. The man stood next to her. Leo hadn't expected the man to be with her. He had underestimated her. This was where his fear was supposed to sink in… but he didn't feel it. He relaxed and let his gaze wander over the ceiling. He needed to get out of here. How could he get out? Certainly not how _his_ victims tried. No. He needed to think differently. He glanced at her and smiled. She was a control freak, he could wrench her control from her. He just needed to think.

"You're too kind." He replied with a smooth voice. "Although, seeing as how you get around so much, it's not much of a compliment, is it? I bet you tell that to all the men you meet."

Her gaze narrowed angrily at that. Apparently she didn't like being called a whore. Her male friend rushed forward, hatred written all over his dim-witted face, and he punched Leo's snout. Leo's head whipped back and from the blow and into the table. The table rocked from the hit. The blue masked terrapin had to admit that the hit had hurt. He blinked slowly and waited for the pain to fade.

"You address her with respect, freak." The man snarled angrily.

Leo worked his jaw about and spat blood in the man's eyes. The human stumbled back, cursing as he wipe at his eyes. Leo offered the woman a cold smile. "I thought you worked alone, Katherine. Did you finally take an apprentice, or is he another one of your toys?" Leo asked. She returned his cold smile and rose from the chair, waving her male companion off even as he started forward. She strode towards him, her hips swaying seductively. She placed both hands on either side of Leo's head and her face hovered inches from his.

"You should really be quiet turtle. I've been hearing about you from those street rats. They talk about you like you're some sort of boogeyman. They've taken to calling you Retribution. I think you scared them. However, Retribution," She said his alias with a laugh. "I have a question for you. How do you expect to escape this? I'm going to kill you right here. You will burn alive here. How does that make you feel?" She asked with her green eyes fixated on his gray ones. He exhaled and met her gaze with a smirk.

"Alive."

She laughed at that. "In another life, perhaps we may have been friends."

"No. I would have killed you." He replied in that same smooth tone. Her eyes held certain mirth and she lowered her lips to his, brushing against him. She pulled away and Leo stared in a mix of surprise and cold apathy. She licked her lips and nodded to her companion who happily lit a match and dropped it on the ground where it caught on a trail of gasoline. "Die in flames, Retribution." Katherine said with a smirk. She turned on her heel and exited the room calmly, her companion grinning like a fool as he followed her out.

Leo turned to regard the growing flames. He could already feel their heat. He pulled at his hands and bit his lip as the barbed wire tore through flesh. He rocked his body back and forth desperately. His survival instincts were pushing at him. Escape! Escape!

He was rocking the table. Back and forth. Back and forth. Swaying unsteadily. It dipped to one side, where the flames were snaking angrily. Slowly it tipped to that side, Leo shoved all of his weight in that direction...

_Thunk! Crack!_

The table hit the ground on its side, smashing Leo's right hand as it fell with the combined weight of him and a solid oak table. He uttered a gasp of pain but managed to wriggle his broken hand free of the barbed wire. He tore at his restraints with his now free hand even as the flames danced dangerously close to his face. The heat was making beads of sweat run down his body. His hand was bloody and torn with small cuts but he managed to free his left hand. Leo freed both of his legs easily and leapt free from the flames as they devoured the table. He felt them lick at his heels, but they did no more than that.

He raced free from the room and into a dark hallway. He caught sight of Katherine walking alongside the huge man, slowly advancing down a stairway at the end of the hall. Leo could see that she had his katanas in her hands and his duffel bag over her shoulder. Leo reached into his belt as he sprinted forward, holding several shuriken in his left hand. His broken hand was held tightly to his chest and out of commission. He hurled the shuriken at their legs and leapt on the hulking man's back. He gripped both sides of the man's head with left hand and his right forearm and twisted the man's head until there was an audible snap.

He leapt off the dead man and landed in a crouch. Katherine was on the ground, tugging a bloody shuriken out of her thigh. She gave him a look, no fear, no hatred, just cold understanding. He glared at her and stood. He approached and she smirked.

"Are you going to kill me now?"

Leo stared at her for a moment, ignoring the flames that were traveling down the hall towards them.

"No."

She grinned.

"I'm going to kill you on my own terms."

Her expression quickly transformed into a shocked one as Leo pressed a pressure point on her neck. She slumped unconscious. Leo glanced back at the flames and swore quietly. Using his left hand, he sheathed both of his katanas on his shell and donned his duffel bag before lifting her over his left shoulder. He ran down the stairs, racing against the flames that threatened to devour him. He could hear the sirens of a fire engine fast approaching. He kicked it, forcing his legs to move faster. He could feel sweat pour down his body and Katherine's weight pressing down on him. Leo forced himself to keep running. He turned a corner and caught sight of a window. He sprinted towards it. He tucked his head into his shoulder and covered his face with his right forearm. He leapt and there was a moment of utter silence. Complete silence.

The glass shattered and shards embedded themselves into his arms and legs. He felt as if he were floating over the ground then. He had leapt from the third story of an apartment complex. His gaze locked onto a weathervane below and he reached out for it with his broken hand, biting his lip as he knew how much it would hurt to grab onto it. His hand caught on the weathervane and he nearly shouted his pain. Blood streamed from where he had bitten his lip. It streamed down his chin and neck gently as he hung there. Leo inhaled deeply and pulled himself up, muscles screaming in protest. He got one foot up on the roof and was able to roll on it. He took deep ragged breaths before rising to his feet. He shifted Katherine on his shoulder and sprinted away from the burning apartment. He wasn't nearly in the clear yet.

He leapt and on another rooftop shakily. He released a deep breath and continued his run. After a few minutes of this, he fell to his knees and dropped Katherine on the ground. He panted heavily. He searched his duffel bag and found a case filled with hypodermic needles. He stares at it. It wasn't his. He glanced at Katherine. It was hers. This must have been how she had knocked him out. Leo removed one from the case and turned to Katherine. He inserted the needle into her neck and injected the contents into her bloodstream to keep her knocked out. He tossed the used needle away and placed the case back in his bag and stood. He lifted Katherine over his left shoulder again and dropped onto the fire escape on the side of the building. He then dropped into an alley on top of a car. He picked the locks on the car and stashed Katherine in the trunk. He hot-wired the car and turned onto an empty back street, heading towards his kill site.

-.-.-.-.-.-

_Months had passed. They were now eight years old and extremely rambunctious. Splinter had given them their weapons, though they were wooden. They had loved the gifts but jealously had arisen, especially between Raphael and Leo. So, the two remained as far apart from each other as possible. That was why Leo had decided to leave the lair with Donatello, while Naito followed silently from the shadows. They were both rambling on about a toy car they had made together. Naito found their talk nauseating._

_The two turtles had come to a place where the sewer water ran swift. The sewers had been flooding recently, and it was becoming dangerous. It made Naito wary. He had been dragged and tossed around by strong currents before; it had not been a fun experience. The two turtles were playing with the toy, making it move using a remote. Donatello was using it at the moment but Leo had yet to play with it. A bored Naito watched Leo's frustration rise. Finally, Leo shoved Donatello and attempted to take the remote away._

_"Hey! Quit it, Leo! It's not your turn yet!" The younger turtle shouted. Leo only fought harder. Naito watched the toy spin out of control and veer straight into the rushing water. Donatello sighed and raced after the car, shoving the remote into Leo's hands. "I'll get it." Don said. He scooped up a stick and reached with it over the water to retrieve the car. Naito's stomach tightened, he knew something bad was going to happen. A large pile of floating trash smacked into the stick and upset Donatello's balance. The turtle fell screaming into the water. Naito turned his gaze to Leo, but the little turtle was frozen in shock. Naito gave a cry of frustration and broke free of the shadows. He sprinted, shoving Leo aside, but not into the water._

_"Leo! My leg is stuck! Leo!" Donatello's voice echoed._

_Naito ran, following the current and dived into a deep pool filled with debris. His eye was accustomed to the murky water and he soon spotted the dazed and drowning turtle. He swam and found a beam of wood that had trapped the turtle's leg. Naito grabbed onto the beam and pulled, his air escaped in bubbles as he pulled with as much strength as he could muster. He felt something tear in his hand but the beam was now floating off of Donatello's leg. Naito grabbed the young turtle and lifted him to the surface. He inhaled deeply upon contact with the air and clambered up a set of rungs while holding the dazed Donatello with his non-clawed hand. He climbed and dumped Donatello onto the wet ground. Naito breathed in short bursts and glanced back to spot Leo racing up to their spot. Naito glanced at Donatello and saw that the turtle was breathing and okay. He then ran, disappearing into the shadows. Once far away, Naito clutched his hand, the one that had felt town, and released an ear-splitting scream of pain. Blood dripped from where his claws had been torn out of his hand._

_Leo fell to his knees next to his brother. He looked him over and glanced in the direction he had seen the shadowy figure flee. He felt his pulse racing and his heart pounding. He knew that shape. He looked down at his clenched fist and opened it, revealing a sharp claw. He knew what it came from. He knew who it came from. Leo swallowed painfully. Naito was alive._

_His brother stirred. Leo glanced down to see Donatello breathing in gasps._

_"You didn't get the car?"_

-.-.-.-.-.-

Katherine's eyes fluttered open. She blinked sleepily and yawned. She moved to sit up from her lying position but she was trapped. Her wrists and ankles were taped down to a metal table. She glanced around. Where she was, it was dark, only lit by a few candles. She tugged at her bonds, but they wouldn't budge.

"I was in such a position not too long ago."

She turned to at the sound of the voice to spot Leo leaning against a wall; his right hand had been wrapped in white tape. His mask tails were singed and dried blood stained his lips.

"Is Retribution upset?"

Leo glared and remained silent. He was not in the mood for games. He approached the table, a knife in his left hand.

"You know your crimes." Leo said, sounding calmer than he felt. She smirked at him.

"Do you know yours?"

He ignored her question.

"Do you really think that you're better than the rest of us? Better than me?"

She laughed at his silence and unchanging expression.

"Just because you parade around under some notion that you're the good guy? Just because you kill murderers doesn't mean you're not one of us. So, one more time. Do you think you're better than me?"

"I underestimated you, I'll you that. Am I better than you? No. Not one bit. I saw the look you gave me when I was at your mercy. I've had that look before. No, I'm not better than you. I just wish I was." He answered before plunging the knife into her chest, the blade punctured her heart and she gave a soundless gasp. Blood quickly spread over her shirt. Her eyes went vacant. Emotionless. Dead. Leo sighed in relief and let himself relax. He allowed the sating of his need to flow through him. Fill him. He closed his eyes and reveled. Then he heard it. A gasp, barely louder than a whisper. It echoed.

The relief that had flooded into Leonardo quickly dissipated. He turned, slowly, hesitantly. All warmth leaving his body as his eyes confirmed his suspicions.

Raphael stood at the door of the warehouse, staring at him with a shocked expression.

"Leo, what the hell did you do?"

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, LEO, what is your problem, huh?**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: On with the story :) I actually had to move some stuff around here, but it was getting a little lengthy. Thanks for the reviews, I'm glad that you guys liked the ending of the last chapter ^^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

* * *

Leo was shoved against the wall, his shell smacked against it dully, his breath escaped in a gasp and the point of a sai pressed against the underside of his throat. A strong hand was wrapped around his neck, holding him pinned against the metal wall. His gray gaze met an angry amber one. Leo swallowed and he felt the sai dig deeper against his reptilian skin, but not hard enough to draw blood. Raph's eyes were ablaze with anger, fear, surprise, betrayal, and all sorts of other negative emotions. Leo could feel the need clawing inside him, whispering for him to get back to Katherine's body. He fought it off with a thought, it was mostly sated and it would not fight so much now that Katherine was dead. Raphael, however, was a far more pressing problem. Leo blinked, the need faded to the back of his mind. His brother was shouting in his face, demanding answers. He slammed Leo against the wall.

"What the hell did you do, Leo?!" He reiterated, this time it was angry and less questioning.

Leo's breath escaped in another gasp and Raphael pressed harder with the sai, drawing a rivulet of blood. Leo felt the warm bead of liquid run down his neck gently. He closed his eyes and slowly opened them, his mind racing for anything that would calm his brother down.

"Why the hell did you do it?!" This time he asked a different question, one that Leo might be able to answer without sounding like a monster.

"She tried to kill me, Raph. She trapped me in a room and tried to burn me alive." Leo gasped, forced to barely move his mouth, lest the sai's blade pierce his flesh. Raphael stared at him, going still for a moment. "How did she end up tied down like that? Why did you kill her? You coulda' just done what we always do, Leo."

"Dammit, Raph, I-I-I snapped. I didn't know what to do, my mind just… it went blank and the next thing I knew…" Leo trailed, glancing at the body. He was getting better at lying. Raph was quiet, which was good for the moment. Leo swallowed again. "Raph, please, lower your sai."

His brother hesitated, but he complied and released his hold on Leo, taking a step back and breathing heavily. He dropped his sai and doubled over, resting his hands on his knees. He couldn't believe it. Leo had killed someone. _Leo had killed. _Leo was supposed to be the calm one, the levelheaded one. He was the one with the compassion and control and restraint. This wasn't supposed to happen. Raph couldn't believe it. He glanced up at the sound of something ripping and saw Leo standing over the body, cutting at the tape with the same bloody knife he had used to stab the woman.

"This isn't right, Leo."

"I know." He replied softly.

Leo turned to regard his brother but a fist struck his face first. Leo's head whipped back and he stumbled, having to grab the table for support. He shook his head and straightened, raising his gaze to Raph's. He ignored the blood that streamed gently from the corner of his mouth.

"What the hell is your problem? You killed her! You tied her up and killed her!" Raphael shouted. "I know what happened, both with her and with LH, but this… that ain't no reason t'fucking kill someone, dammit!"

"She was going to kill me, Raph."

"That don't explain jack shit, Leo. Plenty of people have tried t'kill us b'fore! What makes this any different?!"

"I killed the Shredder once, didn't I?" He regretted it as soon as he said it. Raph's fist struck him in the side of jaw and his head whipped to the side, he took the hit.

"That was a different fucking story, Leo. He was the damn manifestation of evil."

"Anyone who murders helpless people is just as evil as him."

"Does that make ya evil too?"

Leo remained silent for a moment. "She wasn't helpless." He then turned back to her body, cutting the rest of the restraints and carrying her outside of the warehouse. Leo knew he had to get it into Raph's head that—that everything was going to be fine. That Leo was still the caring brother and wasn't a complete monster. He knew he was a monster, just not a complete monster. He walked over to the car he had stolen and shoved her limp form into the driver's seat. He then grabbed a lighter out of one of her pocket's and tore off a piece of her shirt. He opened the gas tank of the car and placed the rag on the edge of the tank. He flicked the lighter to life.

"What are you doing?" Raph asked from behind him, his voice was cold, but seemed subdued.

"Erasing." Leo said as the rag caught fire. He tossed the lighter away and sprinted, grabbing Raph's arm and yanking him along.

Leo felt pain rise as he ran, some was physical. He had hoped that none of his brothers would ever find out about his… pastime. He now knew, he would have hell to pay for being careless tonight.

-.-.-.-.-.-

_Naito had not moved for days. He was hungry. He was parched. He was in pain. He was worn and tired. The wounds on his hand had managed to close, but they were incredibly sensitive. Naito had no idea what had come over him. He didn't know what had compelled him to save Donatello. He didn't regret it either for some odd reason. He lost his only weapons in the act, but it didn't bother him as much as it should have._

_He stretched his neck as he sat with his back to a stone wall and yawned. He was pretty tired. His eyes fluttered shut as he thought of how he had saved Donatello. He was a hero. Like the ones they talked about in the stories. He had overheard Splinter telling the turtles the fairy tales. He liked the one about a kingdom that was ravaged by a dragon. The dragon had demanded the sacrifice of the princess or the sacrifice of any other woman once a month. The princess had eventually given herself to the dragon to save her people, but a brave knight had arrived just in time to slay the dragon before the princess was eaten. Naito sighed contentedly. He was like the brave knight. He had saved the little turtle before it drowned. He was a hero._

_His eyes snapped open and he turned at the sound of splashing footsteps. His eyes darted to the right and his gaze narrowed. All thoughts of brave knights and dragons quickly disappeared from his mind. Leo. The little blue masked turtle was walking down the dark tunnel, towards Naito, though he hadn't seen him yet. Two small swords were sheathed to Leo's shell. Leo looked somewhat lost, but Naito knew what Leo was looking for. He knew where Leo was going._

_The turtle passed him and Naito slowly stood before stepping out of the shadows, behind Leo. The turtle turned around and froze at the sight of Naito. A gasp escaped Leo's open mouth. The look of horror on his face betrayed his fear. He couldn't remove his stare from Naito._

_It was like looking into a mirror._

_Naito's gray gaze narrowed and was transfixed on Leo. His emerald-green skin peeked through the layer of muck that coated his body. His shell had a few more scrapes and scratches, but it was identical to Leo's. His hands were both three-fingered and without claws. Naito glared daggers at his twin brother. Leo could only stare in reply._

_"You left me to die."_

_Leo didn't respond to that. Naito trembled angrily._

_"Why?! I'm your brother! We shared the same egg! Do you remember nothing?!" Naito snapped, he could feel his pent-up misery and loneliness finally finding some release. Leo remained silent._

_"Will you answer me?!" He screamed._

_"You were a monster." Leo finally whispered._

_Naito froze at that. Tears streamed from his eyes—one was gray and the other was milky white._

_"You're the monster. You abandoned me. You left me to starve. I deserved as much of a family as you did! Instead, you gave me rotten food and left me! I almost died!" Naito shouted back, he could feel his throat go raw with emotion._

_Leo glared, not enjoying being yelled at. "You left us first! You were our big brother and you left us! When I found you, I thought you were a monster! You always hid in the shadows and you always used your claws! I had to go! You would've tried to eat me!"_

_Naito felt an intense burning anger clawing inside of him. His sight filled with red and he screamed his rage. He leapt at his brother. Leo gave a startled cry and tore his wooden katanas free of their sheaths. Naito tackled Leo to the ground and they wrestled for grasp of the wooden weapons. Leo elbowed Naito and managed to whack one of the katanas into his twin's arm._

_Crack!_

_Naito screamed as the bones snapped. He stumbled back and clutched his wounded right arm to his plastron. It hurt. It really hurt, but Naito had known far worse pain than that. Leo took the bait and swung at Naito. The unmasked turtle grabbed one of the weapons as he rolled aside, tearing it free from Leo's grasp. He stood and brought the weapon up to bear with his left hand. Leo ran at him and Naito realized how horrible his brother's defense was. Naito sidestepped a strike and tripped Leo. The blue masked turtle fell on his face and his katana rolled out of his grip. Naito leapt on his shell and raised the wooden katana above his head before bringing it down on the back of Leo's skull with a crack. He raised the blunt instrument again and brought it down with another cracking sound._

_"You're the monster!"_

_Crack!_

_"Monster!"_

_Crack!_

_"Monster!"_

_Crack!_

_Blood splattered in heavy drops with each blow. It coated Naito's body and was seeping into the dirty water. He dropped the katana and it landed in the water with a small splash. Naito's shoulders shook and tears ran from his eyes. He tentatively placed his hand on his brother's shell._

_Leo was dead. His brother was dead. Naito knew it. He knew what death smelled like. He knew what it felt like… to kill someone._

_Naito hugged Leo's body close to himself despite the pain of jostling his broken arm. He cried. Tears mixed with blood. They streamed down the bloodstained blue mask. Streamed over vacant gray eyes. Naito screwed his own eyes shut and he fought the tears that came. He slowly opened his eyes, both were silvery gray. Both were able to see the nightmare before him._

_He could see with both eyes that he had killed his twin brother, the only person he had ever loved._

-.-.-.-.-.-

Raph watched his older brother carefully as they sat in Don's lab. Leo sat on a stool while Don fussed over his broken hand. His gaze rose to meet Raph's. Raphael glared him down. Leo felt it deep inside of him. The need was demanding penance. Payment. Katherine's kill had been unsatisfying. Leo smothered it, he needed to stay calm. He didn't want to be calm, but he needed it. Raphael knew he had killed. That was enough to make him panic.

Raphael looked like he had thought something over; Leo could see the look of determination in his eyes. Leo turned back to Don, who scolded him before leaving the room to get something from Mikey. As soon as Don left, Raph spoke, keeping an eye on the door and an eye on Leo.

"Leatherhead told me what happened. Why didn't ya tell _us_? We could've helped ya. You wouldn't have killed that girl if ya had, Leo. I know it."

"It was self-defense, Raph. Don't get so worked up about it." Leo lied. His brother stared for a moment. "You killed someone." He hissed. "You tied her to a table!" He spat in a whisper.

Leo weighed his words carefully before replying. "It was the only way to stop her. She would have killed me or any of you if she had lived. She was dangerous, Raph. I-I admit… the memory… So much pain. Ever since the accident, Raph, I haven't been myself. I was able to control it all these years, but after seeing it again, I just… needed to get it all out." It was a sort of half-truth, but Leo needed to get Raph off his shell.

Raphael stared at him, scrutinizing. He relaxed and leaned back, taking Leo's words as a confession. "You know, Don and Mikey are gonna' freak when they find out you killed someone."

Leo's gaze hardened, his need resurfaced. "You can't tell them." He said quickly, his voice was laced with danger. Raph looked startled at that, but his eyes narrowed. "Please don't tell them." Leo said in a softer  
voice, shoving his need back down.

Raphael's hands clenched into fists. "They deserve to know, Leo. You need help. How else are ya' gonna' deal with yer' past the next time you remember somethin'? By killing people? That ain't right, Leo, and you know it."

"It was a onetime thing, Raph. I didn't have a choice."

"Everyone has a choice, Leo."

Leo thought that one over for a moment. He _didn't_ have a choice. The need inside of him made sure of that. Killing was like a drug that kept pulling him into its sweet embrace. Even if he could stop, Leo knew he didn't want to. He liked the control it gave him, even when he lost his own self-control. It was exhilarating. How could he stop? The answer was simple. He wouldn't.

"Maybe, when you're face with a situation like the one I was faced with, you'll understand. I just hope you never have to face a situation like that."

Raphael was silent for a moment. Leo took that as his opportunity to drive it home. "Once more, Raph, please don't tell them. For their sake, if not mine."

"Fine, Leo. For them. But it doesn't end here. You need to open up, dammit. You need to tell us about the accident. You need to tell us what happened. All we know is that you came home late one night covered in blood and shit after being missing for three days. You changed after that, Leo, and I damn well need to know why. That's the condition. I'll keep your secret, if you tell me what went down those three days you were missing."

Leo frowned and dropped his gaze to the floor. That was a troublesome request, considering what had happened. His brothers didn't know anything. Nothing. They didn't need to know more than that. However, Leo knew he needed to come up with something to appease Raphael. He glanced up to meet his brother's gaze. Funny. A few weeks ago, Leo would have been reduced to tears at the thought of his dead twin. Maybe that wasn't such a good thing, but it helped when conversation turned to the "accident". He didn't like talking about it with his brothers, but he didn't have much of a choice now. He needed to just live with the deal that Raph was offering him.

"Alright, but I get my say in when I talk about the past and when I don't."

"As long as ya' tell me somethin' by the end o'the week—and it isn't bull shit—then I'll respect that."

Leo nodded and they remained in silence for a moment. Don entered and offered his eldest brother 'the look'. He leaned against the counter. He shook his head and sighed. "Your hand should heal fine in a few weeks. So, thank whatever deity you believe in that your mutant genes will speed the healing process. I'm not even going to ask how you fell through a sky light and broke your hand when you landed on a refrigerator. I do expect you to not use it for anything. Nothing, Leo. No training with it. No eating with it. No video games with it. No cooking. No climbing." Don droned on.

"You can't even wipe your butt with it when you go to the restroom!" Mikey quipped from the doorway with a grin. Don closed the door in Mikey's face and continued. "Also, I expect full compensation for taking care of your continued stupidity. I mean, seriously? How does one fall through a sky light and land on a refrigerator with your hand after twenty years worth of ninja training?"

Leo offered a shrug. Raph had come up with the alibi despite Leo's protests. The door opened with a click, swinging open to reveal Mikey standing there grinning like a Cheshire cat. "I thought you didn't want to know, Donnie."

The genius crossed his arms and sighed. "It was a rhetorical question, Mikey. Please go finish my coffee." He said before closing the door again. Mikey's psychotic grin was creeping him out.

"Anyways, Leo, keep everything I said in mind. If you don't use your hand, you should be fine in a few weeks. So, definitely no surface runs until then, got it?"

Leo nodded. "Yeah, I got it, Don." He glanced at Raph who was staring him down like a hawk eyeing a pigeon.

-.-.-.-.-.-

_Naito stumbled through the sewer water, splashing noisily as he moved. His broken arm dangled at his side, but he could already feel it healing. After spending eight years damned with pain, he was thankful for the quick heal. It was rare to catch such a lucky break in the hostile environment of the sewers. A broken arm would have meant death a year ago, even a month ago. He was following a familiar trail back to Leo's family, although he was uncertain of what he would do when he got there. He now wore Leo's mask, belt, and weapons as he made his way through the damp darkness. He wore them so he wouldn't lose the precious items._

_He took a step and tumbled forward when there was nothing beneath his foot but air. He released a terrified cry as he fell. He snapped his eyes shut, his heart leapt to his throat and pounded painfully as he fell. Tumbling end over end, his broken arm was blazing with pain. The air whistled by him. Something wrapped around his left arm and it was nearly wrenched from his shoulder when he came to a jarring stop. Panicked gasps escaped his throat as he hung suspended above churning water. He looked up; his eyes glowed as he stared at what had saved him. A thick steel cable was wrapped around his arm. He must have snapped it and it recoiled by snapping around his arm. Naito hung there, his right arm was broken and his left arm was nearly immobile. How was he supposed to move? He knew no one would save him; he'd been alone for years. Of course nothing could help him. Nothing but luck. He seemed to have some of that._

_Naito steeled his gaze and with a grunt of effort, he pulled with his left arm by bending his elbow. Muscles screamed in protest but he was moving up. Naito swung his broken arm and nearly blacked out from the pain as he snagged his hand one of the cables. He pulled with both arms and felt tears of pain streaming from his eyes. His vision filled with black spots but he forced himself to continue. He heaved himself up again, pulling with all of his might. He could see a shelf just a few feet up. He could make it._

_Naito's gray eyes searched the wall he hung by for hand holds and he sighed in relief as he found one. He froze. Either he had to use his right arm to hang from the cable or he had to use it to reach out for the hand hold. Either way, it was going to hurt a lot. He felt his breathing quicken and he swallowed before nodding to himself. He reached out with his left arm and screamed as his broken arm took on all of his weight. He managed to slip his left hand into the crack between two bricks and shifted his weight to his left arm. He released a deep breath and began climbing; wincing each time he used his right arm to stabilize himself. The cable dragged below him, it was still wrapped around his left arm. His left hand finally found the flat ground of the shelf and he pulled himself up, fighting the pain as he did so. He rolled on the shelf, panting. Naito untied his left arm and the cable slid off the shelf._

_Naito dared not look over the shelf to see the fall he had nearly suffered._

-.-.-.-.-.-

Leo sat on the couch, staring blankly at the television. Raph, sprawled on the couch next to him, flipped through the channels with a dismal expression. His eyes were more focused on Leo than they were on the television. It was close to midnight, but Leo didn't want to sleep, or at least his need wasn't interested in letting him sleep. He wanted Raph to leave him alone. Nearly twenty-four hours spent with Raphael not more than a few feet away the entire time was driving him stir crazy. Leo was now ignoring his younger brother and trying to act as dull as possible, but Raph wouldn't cave and find something more interesting to do. Of course he wouldn't. He had seen Leo kill someone.

The older turtle blinked and noticed that the television screen was off. He turned to Raph and noted the sour look on his face. "Your face is going to stay like that if you don't stop." Leo commented dryly. Raph snorted. "I ain't worried about my face, Leo. When are ya' gonna' talk about somethin' serious instead of tryin' t'smooth talk yer' way outta' things?"

"I'll talk when I'm ready, Raph. We already established the conditions of this deal, remember?"

Raph glared and Leo shrugged.

Leo stood up and stretched, Raph stood up quickly in response, as if expecting Leo to run. The older turtle rolled his eyes at that. It would have been a stupid idea. Leo walked around the couch and towards the pool in the center of the lair. Raphael followed closely, dogging him the entire way. Leo lowered himself to the ground in front of the pool slowly, using only his left hand. He crossed his legs and bowed his head while resting his hands palms up on his thighs. He took in a deep breath and relaxed. He cleared his mind and focused, closing his eyes. He focused on his innermost thoughts. His heart began to slow, as did his breathing.

Raphael stared at Leo with a bored expression. He sighed and turned towards the kitchen. He walked over and retrieved a beer from the fridge before sitting at the kitchen table. He turned the chair—making it squeal as the wooden legs rubbed against the stone floor—to face Leo and stared at his brother while chugging his beer noisily. Leo ignored the passive aggressive taunts.

He relaxed and eased his body into a meditative slumber, leaving only a part of his mind awake enough to think. He needed a story to tell his brother. It didn't have to be real, but he needed it to make sense. Leo had no intention of telling Raphael the truth. The truth was far too dangerous for any of his brothers to know. Only one other person knew, and would definitely not tell them—at least Leo hoped so.

He thought it over. Leonardo could tell parts of the truth. Parts. He could tell Raphael that he had been trapped in that chute that had given him his fear of heights. He could say that he'd been trapped in there for a few days. It was another half truth. Leo found himself telling those a lot lately.

Leo mulled it over. Thinking back on it, he had to admit that he had been really tough for an eight year old. Of course, he had lived off of nothing but rats and bugs for years and was faced with real survival challenges. He had never had clean water to drink. At first that had nearly been the end of him. Infection and disease had set in and made him weak. His mutant genes, the ones that had cursed him for so long, had actually saved him. The tore through the illnesses and absorbed them into his immune system. At least, that was the assumption. He had never gotten sick after that. He had to admit that he had never sneezed or coughed as a result of illness.

That hardship had made him strong. He removed those thoughts from his mind and delved deeper, digging through memories.

After about an hour of meditating, Leo opened his eyes and glanced in Raphael's direction. His younger brother had fallen asleep. Leo couldn't help but smile at the sight of Raph leaning back in the chair with an empty bottle of beer hanging loosely in his hand. His eyes were closed and his face was relaxed. Leo slowly rose to his feet and approached Raph silently.

No matter his past, Leo loved his brothers. He had loved his twin unconditionally, but he had snapped. After spending so much time alone and suffering, it had only been a matter of time before he had. He knew it now. If he didn't kill, he might repeat the same mistake. He might snap. He might hurt one of his brothers. So he killed. That was one of his many reasons. Yes, he enjoyed it, there was no doubt about that. It filled him with pleasure. It sated his need.

Leo sighed a breathless sigh as he pried the bottle from Raph's hand. He had not meditated in a long time. He was glad that he had now. It reminded him of what was important. His brothers. They were more important than his carnal desires.

Leo shook Raph gently. The red masked turtle's eyes snapped open and his amber gaze met Leo's gray one.

"You should sleep in your own bed, Raph. You'll be sore if you sleep in a chair." Leo said softly. Raph stared at him. "How can ya' be so damn calm?"

"I'm calm because I meditated." He said with a frown as he stood, knowing where this was headed.

Raph punched him in the jaw. It was expected. Leo took the hit. "Dammit, Leo. This isn't a fucking joke."

"I know that, Raphael. Talking about it won't solve anything, though. Just drop it." Leo spoke lowly, a hint of irritation entered his voice.

"You expect me to drop it?! You killed her! If anyone was gonna' kill someone, it shoulda' been me to make that mistake! You're s'posed t'be the calm one!"

Leo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Was _that_ what this argument was all about? He opened his mouth to speak.

The sudden tapping of a cane interrupted his thoughts. Leo turned around to spot Master Splinter at the entrance of the lair with a pleasant smile on his face. "My sons, I did not expect anyone to be awake yet, but I am very glad to see you."

Leo bowed his head, relief was written plainly on his features.

"Welcome back, Master."

-.-.-.-.-.-

Leo waited, grinding his teeth. He knelt on a tatami mat in Master Splinter's room. He had been waiting for about an hour while Master Splinter talked with Raph. His younger brother was glad to finally speak with him after months of absense. Leo had greeted his father and managed to discreetly tell him that they needed to talk. Thankfully, Raphael was unable to notice it. So now, Leo waited for his father to finish talking with Raph.

True to his word, Master Splinter pushed open the screen door and closed it behind him. Leo kept his gaze on the floor as his father moved to sit on the tatami mat across from him. Leo felt his heart thump heavily in his chest. He swallowed and met his father's eyes.

"Master..."

"Yes, Leonardo? What is it that you so wish to speak to me about?"

"I did it."

Master Splinter's ears flicked back and his brows furrowed. "You did what, my son?"

"I killed."

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**A/N: So... anything you want to say or ask, please review :) I really like reviews**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Wow, I took a little longer with this one, huh? Thanks for the reviews :) I hope this chapter clears up a few of your questions.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

* * *

_Naito walked down another tunnel, ignoring the pain of his broken arm as he held it close to his body. His feet splashed in the water as he walked. He was tired and sore and hungry, but he couldn't bring himself to do anything about it. He only continued walking, heading in the direction that the family lived. He gave a sigh and leaned against the wall of the tunnel. The stone was cold underneath his skin._

_He wanted somewhere to belong. He had wanted it for years. Years spent suffering alone. Now it was suddenly there. A family. A home. Love. All at the cost of his twin's life. Naito glanced back in the direction he had come from. His brother was back there. Probably already being eaten by the denizens of the sewers. Naito swallowed. His fault. Leo was dead. It was all Naito's fault. The turtle sank to his knees and tears streamed from his eyes. He hadn't wanted to kill Leo. He just wanted to talk to him. He wanted to be accepted. He wanted to be loved. Not feared. Leo was right about Naito. He was a monster._

_Naito didn't know how long he had remained like that, but he knew he needed to move when he noticed a few roaches tickling his legs with their antennae. He rose to his feet and shooed the bugs away. A day ago, he would have eaten them for sating his starvation. He began his stumbling walk. Lack of food was making him weak. He continued, ignoring the ache in his gnawing stomach._

_He finally stumbled into a dimly lit section of the sewers. Candles sat flickering on the stone floor. Naito didn't even acknowledge their existence as he shuffled past them. He passed three turtles lying asleep on the ground. He finally dropped to his knees behind the kneeling form of an aged rat. Naito stared vacantly at the ground. The old ninjutsu master turned at the sound and froze. His soft gaze was fixated on Naito, who sat bloody and battered before him, his right arm hanging limply at his side while his left arm was covered in bruises and minor cuts. The blue mask he wore was blood stained and one of his wooden swords was crusted with dry blood._

_Master Splinter swiftly tugged Naito into a warm embrace, taking care not to jostle the young turtle's broken arm. Naito stiffened in the embrace. He hadn't expected it. Still, he had never felt so warm and comfortable before. So safe and loved. The old rat stroked Naito's shell with a gentle hand. He spoke softly, then. A whisper. "Leonardo...my son."_

_Naito's heart fell ad he suddenly felt cold. He began shaking and tears streamed from his eyes. The master only held him tighter and said that name again. Naito shook his head but could not speak lest he cry out his misery. He didn't belong anywhere. This was Leo's family, not his._

_"I can't be who you are." He thought painfully to his brother. Leo was gone. He was gone forever.  
Naito didn't remember when he blanked out of reality, but he was suddenly standing in front of the other three turtles. His body had been cleaned of blood and muck. His mask had been cleaned as well as his wooden swords. His right arm was splinted and wrapped. The three turtles stared at him for a moment. Naito didn't know what to make of it. What was he supposed to say? Suddenly the turtles all ran forward and embraced him. Crying his brother's name. Leo. Leo. Leo._

_It was always Leo. Naito could feel a pang of pain each time they had said that name. Naito was silent. He didn't hug them. He didn't speak to them. He couldn't look at them. It was too painful. They thought he was Leo. He wasn't. He was Naito. He was the cursed one. He was the monster._

_Time passed swiftly after that. His arm had healed. He was training with them. Alongside them. They called him Leo. He was learning to ignore the pain that came with the name. He was learning to respond with words again. To talk. He excelled at training. His drive for ninjutsu was unequaled by his brothers. His brothers? When had he called anyone other than Leo as his brother? Naito ignored it. They were his brother's. They looked similar enough and they loved each other enough to be brothers. Though Leo had never loved Naito. It was the exact opposite. Leo had hated Naito while Naito had loved Leo._

_Naito was hesitant when it came to balance training. They were told to walk across a beam that stood more than a few feet off the ground. It was unsettling. All the memories of falling and the painfully of a cable around his arms came and attacked him. He knew then that he was afraid of falling again. So he strove for balance and excelled more than his other brothers at it. Just as he did with every lesson._

_Raphael began taking to tease him and start fights with him. Naito was afraid of losing control and attacking his brother like he had to Leo. He avoided Raphael as much as he could and only defended himself when Raph got physical. Donatello had stopped trying to strike up conversations about his scientific thoughts with Naito. Apparently Leo had been the only one that Don talked to about science. Michelangelo spent less and less time playing games with Naito. He turned to teasing Raphael instead. _

_Naito felt alone. Alone again. Except he had accepted it. He accepted this life as the punishment. The punishment for killing his twin brother. He promised to protect the other three as his price for redemption. He would be Leo for them._

-.-.-.-.-.-

_The aged sensei watched Leonardo perform the kata once more. He couldn't believe it. Leonardo had learned it so swiftly. The little turtle finished with a bow and regarded his master with those sad gray eyes of his. Master Splinter nodded and stroked the tuft of fur under his chin._

_"You may go play with your brothers, Leonardo."_

_The child winced at the mention of his name and glanced at his brothers. They were waving around toy airplanes and cars. He turned back to Master Splinter and swallowed._

_"Sensei, I'd rather train. Could you teach me something else?" He asked in his always polite tone. When had Leonardo become polite? He had been just as brash as Raphael only a month ago. Master Splinter smiled and nodded. "Of course, Leonardo, but only once more—I am not as young as you, my son." He answered. The little turtle nodded. "Hai, Sensei."_

_Master Splinter decided to try something else. "This is a test, Leonardo. I want you to sneak up on your brothers, my son. Try to take one of the toys without their noticing."The ninjutsu master spoke calmly. The blue masked turtle glanced at his brothers and eyed the deep shadows around them. He turned back to his master and bowed before walking past Splinter and entering the shadows of the lair. Master Splinter noticed then, how dark it really was in their home. He turned back to his three sons who were content with their toys._

_One of the shadows wavered and Donatello turned to look at it. He called Raphael and Michelangelo over and they stared into the shadows. Master Splinter nodded until he noticed a small hand snatch a toy car from behind the three turtles. He stared. Leonardo had never been nearly that capable at moving in the shadows. How was he able to do that? That would have taken years of practice._

_"Master, I have the toy. Did I pass the test?"_

_The aged master turned to see his son, half in and half out of the shadows. It was as if he belonged there. Splinter stared for a moment before smiling and patting his son on the head gently. "Yes, Leonardo. You did well. Go ahead and practice your katas, I will be back in a little while, my son."_

_The blue masked turtle fidgeted before nodding._

_Master Splinter turned and made his way out of the lair. "I am leaving; I will return shortly, my sons. Stay here." He said before exiting and making his way into the sewers. He walked. His mind wandered as he walked. His son was different. Leonardo had changed much since he had gone missing. At first, Splinter thought that it was just trauma. Leonardo had been hurt badly and he surmised that the child was very afraid of something. After some time, though, it was apparent that he was not afraid. The only thing he feared was heights. Leonardo had changed. He was no longer afraid of the dark. He was not interested in science or technology. He would not quarrel with Raphael nor play with Michelangelo. He actually had an interest in ninjutsu. Leonardo had definitely changed—no. It was as if his son was someone entirely different._

_Master Splinter halted. He needed to speak with Leonardo privately. He needed to know what had happened—even if his son began crying again and became almost catatonic—he needed to know what had happened!_

_He turned on his heel and rushed back to the lair. He entered silently and froze at the sight before him._

_Raphael held Leonardo pinned to the ground and shouted at him while Michelangelo and Donatello watched. Leonardo's eyes were screwed shut and he was shaking—but not from fear. It was something different. Master Splinter rushed in and scooped Raphael up quickly. "That is enough, Raphael. Never treat your brother in such a manner!" Splinter barked at his son before sternly setting him down in a corner. "You will remain there for the rest of the night, Raphael. Think over your actions. I expect an apology for your brother."_

_Master Splinter turned to Leonardo, who sat with his arms wrapped around himself, shaking uncontrollably. The ninjutsu master lifted his son into his arms and disappeared into a separate room, closing a makeshift wooden door behind him. Master Splinter sat down on a tatami mat and held his son close to him. He whispered soothing words and gently stroked his son's shell._

_"Leonardo," Master Splinter began._

_"I'm not Leo." The child whispered. He had stopped shaking and tried to pull himself away from Splinter._

_"Leonardo, what are you," The sensei began again._

_"I'm not your son! I killed Leo! I'm… I'm his twin brother." He said. Master Splinter stilled and the young turtle managed to remove himself from Splinter's grasp. He then knelt before the aged master._

_"My name… is Naito. Leo is—was—my twin brother."_

_Master Splinter stared and he knew that the young turtle was right. He wasn't Leonardo. There was no way he could be. The rat dropped his gaze to his hands. His eldest son. His child… was dead. His Leonardo was most likely lying dead in the sewers somewhere. He was probably just bones and a shell by now._

_"I killed him with his own weapons. He came searching for me and I attacked him."_

_Master Splinter stared at him, unable to comprehend it, but he knew it was true._

_"I know you want to kill me now." Naito said; his gray gaze penetrated through Master Splinter's heart. It was so much like Leonardo, but, this child had taken his son from him. He had taken Leonardo from him. Master Splinter moved forward, his strong hands wrapped around Naito's throat and tightened. Naito had taken his son from him! He didn't deserve to wear the mask and weapons of his son! He didn't deserve to breathe while his son was decomposing out there in the sewers._

_"I deserve it. Don't hold back." Naito gasped, finding it harder to breathe, but holding himself still as the grief-stricken father choked the life from him. Splinter flinched back at those words, quickly releasing his hold on Naito. He backpedaled, sickened with his own act. He had tried to kill a child._

_Naito stared at him with those sad gray eyes and Master Splinter looked away. This was the one who had killed his son. Yet, how could he hurt this poor child? Naito had been alone for eight years, if he was telling the truth. He had been forced to fend for himself and depend on no one else. It would have been a harsh life. None of his sons would have survived whatever horrors that Naito had. Splinter turned to stare at the young turtle._

_"Tell me the truth. What happened all those years ago? How did you become separated from Leonardo?"_

_Naito closed his eyes and swallowed before nodding._

_"Before I mutated, when I was a normal turtle, Leo and I hatched from the same egg. After awhile we were packed into a glass jar with the other three and we were dropped into the sewers by accident. We fell into the ooze and there was nothing but pain for me. Leo was fine, the others were fine, but I reacted badly. Something was wrong. I was blinded. There was nothing but darkness. I was scared, so I panicked. I waved my arms and legs and I was suddenly falling. I was swept away by a powerful current of water. It pulled me far away and it dragged me under until I couldn't breathe. The pain began to fade, and everything went dark."_

_"After that, I woke up changed. Half of my body was like this… the other half was still the same, just bigger. I was… in pain. Always in pain. I lived off of what I could find… until Leo found me. He realized who I was and he began to care for me—not very well though. He gave me rotten scraps and I was forced to drink dirty sewer water. One day he left and he never came back."_

_Master Splinter stared at Naito. This child was telling the truth, he knew it. The old rat could not bring himself to look at the child, but neither could he ignore the pity that surged deep inside of him for Naito. The child who killed his eldest son. Master Splinter finally turned his gaze up to the young turtle and found himself lost in those silver gray eyes. Those deep sad eyes. Splinter was torn between pity and hate. He could not toss this child out and have him be abandoned once more. Splinter cursed under his breath. He should have made sure that he had not left any of the baby turtles behind when he found them eight years ago. He should have searched harder. He would still have his son if he had._

_Yet fate had decided that this was to happen this way. Splinter had had a hard enough time caring for four healthy baby turtles. How could he have possibly cared for a terribly deformed fifth child? He would have been forced to kill it. No doubt. Master Splinter turned his attention back to the child and swallowed. He knew what he had to do._

_"You killed my eldest son. You took him from me. Fate did not allow you the life he had, and now it offers it to you, although it is for a price. You will take Leonardo's place in this family. You will be my eldest son from now on. Never mention the name Naito or your history to anyone else. Cast your name and past away, it is no longer yours."_

_Naito-Leonardo stared at him, unable to believe the ninjutsu master._

_"Master, I... You can't trust me. I am not safe. There is something inside of me... it makes me want to hurt people. I'm a monster and-"_

_"Quiet. Based on what you have told me, I would not believe it if you were not scarred by the life you lived. Your past is one of blood and violence. I see that something dark lurks within you. I saw it when Raphael attacked you. You managed to keep it at bay, which is a good thing. I will teach you to control it... Leonardo."_

_The little turtle stared at him and nodded. The aged master sighed and dropped his gaze to the ground. They were both silent for a few minutes until Splinter stiffened and shot a glare at Naito-Leonardo. "Leave, now. Go outside and meditate." He snapped angrily. The youngster quickly darted out of the room._

_"Go... go before I change my mind..."_

-.-.-.-.-.-

_Naito-Leonardo, fourteen now, bit his lip as the cane whipped out and struck the back of his legs. He screwed his eyes shut and released a deep breath. He stood still though. If he move, it would only get worse. His adoptive father had taken him in, despite the cause for the real Leonardo's death. He was trained harder than his adoptive brothers and bore far more responsibility than them. It was one of his prices to pay._

_The cane whipped against the back of his legs again and Leo gritted his teeth. This was another price to pay. He had failed his master and was now receiving punishment for it. He had made another mistake. Leo had gone deeper into the sewers and had found a rabid dog. He hadn't meant to kill it, but it had attacked him. It had wanted to tear his throat out... and it was sick. It was sick like him. Leo had actually felt something stir deep inside of him when he cut through the dog's neck with the katana. It was a revolting feeling. The feeling itself was not one of revulsion. No, it made him revolted. He had felt a sense of pleasure when he killed the dog._

_He told Master Splinter as soon as he had returned and the sensei was none too happy._

_"Kneel."_

_Leonardo obeyed without hesitation._

_"I apologize, Leonardo."_

_Leo flinched at that, his eyes snapped open and he turned his gaze up to his master. "Master, I don't understand."_

_"I forced you to suppress something, Leonardo. Something that cannot be suppressed. You have a monster deep inside of you, one that must be fed."_

_Leo stared at his sensei in horror. They had both spent the past six years using meditation and willpower to destroy the monster inside of him. They had maimed it. They kept it chained up. They kept it imprisoned with meditation and calmness. Control. He had developed his control over the years to combat this very monster. How could his sensei say that they had been wrong?_

_Leo stood abruptly. "No. No, you're wrong. It can be controlled. It was just a slip up, Master, nothing more. I can still control it."_

_His master eyed him carefully. Sadly even. "One day, Leonardo, you will realize that I am right. One day, you will unchain the monster. One day you will kill a human and you will find that you crave it. I am sorry, Leonardo. There is nothing I can do to save you."_

_Leo trembled and fell to his hands and knees. Six long years of pain and torment. It was all for nothing. He was a monster. Not even Master Splinter had any hope for him._

_"When you do kill, Leonardo, make certain that it is not an innocent. Be certain that if you take a life, it is the life of a killer. There are few in this world that deserve death, my son. Those who do… are yours."_

-.-.-.-.-.-

The aged master watched his son carefully. He had waited for this day for the past twelve years that Leonardo had been under his tutelage. He had known it would come. Every year, he waited. He waited with bated breath, hoping it would not come but knowing that it would. Despite the death of the original Leonardo, Master Splinter had learned to love this Leonardo. This was his son. He would do anything for the blue masked turtle before him. He steadied himself and his calm gaze bored into his son's gray gaze. There was no anger in Leonardo's eyes. No fear. No happiness. Only a mix of relief and guilt.

"When did this happen?"

"Three weeks ago, Sensei."

"Three weeks ago. How many have you killed?"

"Nineteen, Sensei."

Splinter nodded at that. "You followed the rule?"

"Yes, Master."

Splinter sighed in relief.

"But," Leo began. Master Splinter stiffened.

"Raphael saw me. He saw me kill the arsonist-murderer."

Splinter's eyes flashed angrily and his hand whipped out, striking Leo across the cheek. The turtle took the blow, he had taken quite a few over the past few hours. He rubbed the spot where his father had backhanded him.

"You were to be careful, Leonardo. You were not to be caught, least of all by any of your brothers. Has Raphael said anything to Michelangelo or Donatello?"

"No, I struck a deal with him, but… It causes another problem, Master. He wants to know about… about those three days that…" Leo said, fumbling over the words and trying not to hurt his father with memories of the past.

Master Splinter stiffened. His eldest son had not needed to finish the sentence. The aged master inhaled and exhaled slowly. "Do not tell him anything about who you once were. Make up a story if you must, but your brothers can never know about your true nature or your past."

"Hai, Sensei."

-.-.-.-.-.-

Leonardo made his way through the sewers at a casual but brisk pace. He was on his way to Leatherhead. He needed to fix the root of the problem.

Leatherhead had seen one of Leo's brief visions of the past and that raised suspicions. Questions. Leatherhead knew nothing of the accident, but he was now suspicious. He had seen blood. Blood raised plenty of questions on its own. Leonardo was determined to make things right. He would clear all suspicions with his story. He had come up with a story about him becoming lost in the sewers and finding a dead body before nearly falling to his death in that chute. It was believable. Better yet, it explained the vision that Leatherhead had seen as well as Leonardo's past fear of falling. He couldn't find any flaws in his story, and he doubted that Leatherhead would dare question it even if there were any.

He turned a corner and froze. Something wasn't right. His eyes darted about and he could feel his muscles tense. What was going on? Was he being followed? Leo's gaze darted the dark tunnels. He couldn't see anything. Leo's features settled into a fierce feral look. Whoever was following him or whatever was happening was most likely not friendly. Leo allowed his body to relax and he fluidly slipped into the shadows along the walls of the sewer tunnel. He closed his eyes and listened. The dripping of water from a rusty pipe became his metronome.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

The sound of the water softly streaming to its destination was near silent. Leo listened carefully. He could hear nothing else other than the sounds of the sewers. He started to move out of the shadows. Suddenly, he froze again. His eyes snapped open. There it was. A lull in the water current. He could hear the water moving out of its normal path. Someone was here. Someone had been following him. Leo's gray gaze turned to a dark form standing just several feet away. Leo grimaced. It was Raphael. Who else would be following him right now and carried a shell on his back?

Leo remained in the shadows. If Raph was following, no doubt he wanted to confront Leo. Raphael glanced around and grumbled under his breath before passing by Leo. The older turtle waited for his brother's footsteps to recede into nothing before he slipped from his placed and moved through the shadows to a detour to Leatherhead's lair.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Aboveground, the night had set in on the city that never sleeps. The sounds of the city were only interrupted by the constant wail of police sirens. The sky was dark and yet, it was lit up by the light from the city. The city's light cast a sickly glow over the clouds above. The shadowy figure standing on a rooftop yawned. He was not interested in the sky right now. He turned and sprinted across the rooftops.

He dropped into an alley and traced a symbol into the ground with dried wood and lighter fluid. He then clicked a lighter to life and the fire crackled as it spread over the symbol. He quickly scaled a building and continued his sprint. He arrived at a warehouse and repeated the ritual, soon another similar symbol burned bright on the warehouse. The flames flickered and burned against the dark sky.

He sprinted away, traveling to several similar locations and burning the symbol in each one but two. He arrived at an apartment building and painted the symbol in crimson paint, the color of arterial blood. He visited one other location and stood outside of the abandoned warehouse. He stood there for a moment. Silent. The wind breathed by and he found a smile on his features. He turned from the warehouse and walked away. The night soon swallowed his retreating form.

-.-.-.-.-.-

"I had no idea…" Raph managed as he sat at the kitchen table across from Leo. His older brother had just told him about how he had stumbled across a dead body when he was eight and fell down a shaft and nearly to his death. Leo nodded, keeping his features solemn. "I never wanted to tell any of you what happened. It was hard enough for me to live through it. I didn't want you guys to worry about it… I knew it would only scare you three at the age we were. I only told Master Splinter. That's why he spent so much time having me meditate when we were kids. It's also why I was so afraid of heights, Raph."

His red masked brother nodded numbly, staring at the steaming mug of hot chocolate sitting in front of him. Leo sipped from his own mug. He glanced over to the blue couch, where Mikey and Don were watching the Avengers. He chuckled as Mikey cheered and Don glanced at the young turtle with an annoyed expression. "This makes up for everything, Raph. I'm glad I never told any of you what happened. Seeing Mikey and Don like that makes up for all the pain I endured. Seeing you messing around in the garage makes up for it. Seeing the way you three interact… it makes everything worth it. All I ever wanted was to keep you three safe and happy."

Raph turned his gaze up to Leo and he smirked. "It sounds a little sappy, Leo. Like a Christmas special."

Leo rolled his eyes and sipped some of his hot chocolate.

"Don't get me wrong, bro', I'm grateful that ya' spared our childhood the horror of somethin' like that. Just don't hide anything else like that again, alright? We're yer' brothers. Ain't nothin' ever gonna change that, Leo."

Leo glanced down at his hot chocolate. That should have made him feel better. It was supposed to be a reassuring statement. So why did a pang of guilt fill him? Why did Raph have to say that? He wanted to tell Raph the truth then. He wanted to tell his brother, but instead he kept his mouth shut. Leo smiled at his brother and nodded. "Of course, Raph."

The red masked turtle nodded and shuddered. He rubbed his arms and looked uncomfortable. "Geez, too much touchy-feely crap. Let's go watch some T.V. or somethin'. I'm tired of this sap-fest."

Leo's smile fell from his features as soon as Raph turned his shell to him. Raph made his way to the couch, Leo made to follow him until a hand gently rested on his shoulder. Leo turned to face his sensei. The elderly sensei's eyes questioned but his mouth never moved. Leo glanced back at Raphael and to his sensei. He nodded and made his way to the couch.

Master Splinter walked towards the armchair and sank into it with a heavy sigh. Mikey munched on popcorn noisily next to Don on the couch. Raph grinned at Leo as the older turtle stood next to him behind the couch. The two vaulted over it, hot chocolate mugs in hand, and landed on either side of Don and Mikey.

They sat there no longer than a minute when the movie was interrupted by an odd sound and a news reporter suddenly took over the television screen. It was the same woman as on the last report. The turtles exchanged surprised glances and turned back to the television. Master Splinter frowned.

"We interrupt your usual programming for an important news report. There has been new evidence about the recent gang activities that causes police to believe it was _not_ gang activity. This symbol," the reporter said, gesturing to a photograph that appeared next to her. The image was of a flaming triangle with a smaller circle attached to its base. "Has been found at every crime scene, including a homicide victim's apartment. Police have now confirmed that this is no longer gang violence but a series of murders committed by one person. This person is a dangerous serial killer and has been seen only sparingly. Eyewitnesses speak of a dark figure about five feet tall, but nothing else. They have taken to calling him 'Retribution' because of his victims and the symbol he uses—which stands for justice and punishment. All of his victims are criminals that have committed major felonies. Police are searching for Retribution as we speak. It is advised that everyone remains indoors at night. Thank you."

The television screen turned back to the Avengers but no one was watching now. The turtles were buzzing with questions and shouts while Master Splinter stared at his eldest son. Leo remained silent and stared at the television. His hands were shaking. He felt an unfamiliar sense of panic rise in his chest.

He hadn't made those symbols. Someone else did. Someone was playing with him.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading, I hope I answered the question about Leo-Naito... stuff... anyways, please review. The link for the symbol will be posted on my profile if anyone is curious enough for a look.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, guys, I've been a little busy recently. I'll be posting the next chapter soon to make up for it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

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"Master, it wasn't me. I would never be so short sighted as to," Leo began.

"Really, Leonardo?" The master interrupted sharply. "What of the time when your brother walked in on one of your victims?"

Leo's gaze dropped to the floor. "I swear it wasn't me, Sensei. Someone else did it. I would never lie to you, Master."

The master's gaze narrowed. "You are a killer and not a liar?"

Leo tensed at that. Splinter shook his head. "One more transgression like this, Leonardo, and you will be banished from this family. I love you dearly, my son, but I must also protect this family. You are dismissed for now."

Leonardo bowed and rose to his feet. He turned and made for the door. He opened it silently.

"Leonardo, investigate the symbols. Do not draw attention to yourself. Be sure that there is no evidence to link the symbols to yourself or this family." Master Splinter ordered. Leo glanced back and nodded. He withdrew from the room and closed the screen door behind him.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Michelangelo sat on the couch with an Xbox controller in his hands. His tongue stuck out of his mouth while his brows were furrowed in concentration. He dodged to the right as he his character on the television screen encountered a flying arrow. Mikey grinned until a dragon landed on his character and squashed it. He blanched. "Not cool bro!" He shouted at the T.V.

Don glanced over his shoulder from his place at his computers. He had an irritated look on his features.  
"Mikey, keep quiet. I'm sure you don't need to shout to play that game."

Mikey gave him a grin. "Yeah I do, Donnie. It's because I am Dovahkiin! Dragonborn!"

Don sighed. "That's no reason to shout."

"Oh Donnie, poor—poor Donnie. When will you ever understand?"

"Hey, I understand a lot of things." Don replied, turning to face him with arms crossed over his plastron. Mikey sighed dramatically and looked away. "Not enough, Donnie. Not enough."

Don sighed. "I am not getting into this with you right now. I have more important things to do." He said as he swiveled back to face his computers. Mikey was suddenly plastered to the back of Don's chair and looking over Don's work. His eyes scanned the computer screens.

"Why are you looking at that murder stuff, Donnie? It's sick." Mikey commented with a frown.  
"Well, Mikey, it's a little odd. A serial killer like this is dangerous. This 'Retribution' appears to be extremely intelligent or at least crafty to have pinned all of his murders on gang violence so that no one would suspect anything else. Things were going well for him until these symbols popped up at the sites of the murders. It just doesn't make any sense to me."

"Why? I mean, maybe he wanted to be recognized for his... murdering."

Don shook his head. "No, Mikey, think about it. If he went through all the trouble to hide bodies and pin every kill on gang violence or something else, why would he want any recognition? I think something else is going on here. Something we should be worried about."

"I don't understand, why should we be worried about some human serial killer?"

Don sighed in exasperation. His brother just wasn't getting it.

"Retribution isn't the only player in the game, Mikey. Someone else is tracking this serial killer and trying to draw him out. I don't know why, but it's really dangerous, Mikey. If Retribution was killing all of these people on his own, what's going to happen when he meets with this new person?"

"Something really bad?"

"Exactly. That's the only answer I can think of. I really hope this guy doesn't meet with his tracker. I really hope he gets caught before he does anything else."

-.-.-.-.-.-

He stood outside the abandoned warehouse. The wind blew gently over his skin and his blue mask tails fluttered lightly in the breeze. Leonardo fought off a shiver as he stared at the building. None of it made sense. All of his kill sites except for this one had been marked with the odd symbol. The triangle with the circle. It was an ancient symbol for justice. It tied in all too well with his Retribution alias. Someone knew about him. Someone knew too much about him. Leo crossed his arms over his plastron as he considered the building. He shuddered angrily. Who was it?

Who was it that was playing this game with him?

Leo leaned against the tree he had taken shelter behind. He couldn't understand who would have done this to him. Was it another person like him? A killer? Leo frowned. He wasn't sure if he disliked the idea. It really should have threatened him, but he felt like it was an message that said "I know what you are and I would like to know more". Leo shook the thought out of his head. He couldn't afford to think like that. His family came before anything else. Leo returned his gaze to the warehouse. He tightened the muscles in his arms and moved out of the shadows. His gray eyes darted quickly about his surroundings.  
Leo nodded, content that he was alone. He walked towards the warehouse, keeping his heightened senses attuned to his surroundings. He heard a soft click and twisted aside, tearing his katanas free from their sheathes as he did so. He pivoted on the balls of his feet to face where the sound had originated from. Leo held his katanas in front of him defensively, he kept his senses attuned, knowing his back was vulnerable. His eyes scanned the trees that dotted the ground before him. Silence. There was nothing but the soft breeze that sighed through the trees.

"Hello Leonardo." A familiar voice spoke smoothly. Leo tensed at the voice alone. His gaze turned to a shadowy figure standing in the shadows of the trees. Leo gritted his teeth. He knew that voice all too well. One of his most hated enemies had that disturbing voice. The man who had driven Donatello into a state of animalistic rage and had changed his form into that of a monster. The man who tried to dissect him and his brothers. The man who released a widespread epidemic upon the citizens of New York City. The man who worked his way through everything. The venomous snake who kidnapped his father and tried to create a monster from the dead limbs of a cadaver. The same man who put Leatherhead through hours of torture and experimentation. The very man who had traumatized Leatherhead to the point of attacking with bestial rage. Leonardo tightened his grip on his katanas. He hated this human. This devil.

Leonardo knew his own faults. He knew he was a monster. He knew he was the reason behind nineteen dead. He held their blood on his hands. Agent Bishop was a different type of monster altogether. He was a monster who still blamed others for his horrific acts. His crimes were shifted onto someone else as a scapegoat every time. Leo could not stand the human. Bishop was every bad thing about a human in one form. He was everything bad personified. At least Leo had some sense of decency. He had his family to thank for that. If it weren't for them, he would likely have become just like Bishop. The darkness, the need, inside of Leo demanded blood payments and Leonardo was glad that it demanded nothing more than that.

"Bishop." Leo said with a cold edge to his voice.

He could see the pull of a muscle on the human's face as Bishop smirked. Bishop emerged from the shadows. His black trench coat billowed about his lean body. He adjusted his shades before dropping his hands behind his back. He held an arrogant grin smirk upon his features as he studied Leonardo. The turtle tensed under the scrutiny but kept his gaze calm.

"Leonardo, you have been quite the rye as of late. Killing men and women and then dumping their body parts in warehouses. I had to spare one of my agents to find this serial killer who was causing such trouble for the government. You could understand my surprise when my man reported back the identity of our killer. To find out that it was you was quite the prize. I ordered him to draw you out and here you are."

Leo remained silent, listening for danger.

"I was thinking of taking you in, but I had a better idea. You see, my agent told me that you were hiding this... hobby... of yours from your family. How would you like it if we suddenly made it clear to them? All we would need to do is burn that symbol here, no?"

Leo gritted his teeth. "What do you want?" He said through his teeth. Bishop smirked again. "Surrender yourself."

Leo's gaze narrowed and his need surged deep inside of him. It surfaced and Leo smirked. "You really think I would endanger my family like that? Let them think me a killer before I give myself up to you." Leo replied before sprinting forward. Bishop readjusted his shades with an index finger, his grin vanishing.

Leo brought both katanas down in a slash. Bishop sidestepped and Leo pivoted on the balls of his feet to face the human. Leo slashed again and again. Red began to edge his vision as he slashed. Bishop dodged each slash, though he was finding it harder with each move. Leo suddenly sent a flying knee into Bishop's chest, making the human stumble back whilst clutching his chest. Leo did not relent. He continued his overhand slashes, driving Bishop back. Leo growled. Why wasn't Bishop fighting back?

Leo heard another soft click behind him. He leapt aside but something sharp buried itself into his right shoulder. Sudden searing pain raced through his veins and he fought a gasp of pain as he fell to his hands and knees. Leo muttered curses under his breath and he lifted his gaze to Bishop. The human was rubbing his sternum and held a peeved expression. Apparently he had not expected the flying knee. Of course he hadn't. He was accustomed to Leonardo fighting with ninjutsu. Leo had used a Muay Thai move. Leo was surprised the human was still standing. That move should have snapped most of the bones in Bishop's rib cage.

"Well played, Leonardo. But I still win."

Leo could taste blood in his mouth. He knew he was in trouble now. He was shaking from the pain if the drug in his system. Leo yanked a dart out of his shoulder with a shudder. He tossed it aside and breathed in a shaky breath. Bishop smirked and straightened.

"I think we'll have a good deal of information once we dissect you."

Leo's left hand snapped out and a handful of small black beads struck the ground. A cloud of smoke emerged once they struck the ground. Bishop raced forward and waved at the smoke. He smacked at it with his arms. Once it cleared, Bishop found that Leonardo had disappeared. He glanced at the agent stationed in a tree above. The agent dropped to the ground and saluted. Bishop returned the salute.

"Good work."

"Thank you, sir."

-.-.-.-.-.-

Leo staggered through the sewers; his hands hovered over the walls of the tunnel. His breathing came in ragged gasps and his breathing hitched when Sharp pain exploded in his right shoulder. He gasped and shuddered. His vision was blurred.

Leo muttered a curse under his breath and leaned against the wall. His shoulder throbbed painfully. The pain traveled down to his fingers and made them numb. He closed his eyes and evened his breathing. He focused on the pain in his shoulder and it slowly faded to the back of his mind. Leo opened his eyes and straightened. An uncomfortable feeling settled in his stomach. It tugged angrily. Leo sighed. His need. It wanted to get Bishop. Bishop would have been a very satisfying kill. But he hadn't killed Bishop. It was flaring angrily. Leo forced it down, taking a few moments of deep meditation to do so.

He really needed to kill something soon. The need was demanding blood. Leo wasn't in the condition to go tracking down a killer right now. Least of all to fight one. Leo groaned and started on his way home. He could feel the pain at the back of his mind and he knew it still had not subsided but it was slowly lessening. He didn't know what he had been injected with but it had seemed to be something that was supposed to incapacitate him for a few moments. Leo patted the small pouch on his belt that held his smoke pellets. The small items had probably saved his life. Had he been captured, not only would his life have been forsaken, but his family would have been endangered. They would have come after him. They would have tried to save him. They would have been captured themselves.

Leo trudged through the water and finally entered the lair. He didn't quite know what time it was, only that it was late. Leo knew it was late because of the silence of the lair. Leo made his way to the bathroom. He felt tired and worn, though it was probably the drug that made him feel like that. He closed the bathroom door behind himself and loosened his mask, dropping it so it hung loosely from his neck. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his right hand and unslung his katana sheaths and dropped them on the floor. He untied his belt and tossed it on the counter. He leaned heavily on the counter with both hands and sighed. He glanced up at the mirror and stared at the vibrant markings on his face. Bright red splashed at the corners of his eyes and yellow streaks ran down his snout. The markings were brighter. Much brighter. Leo rubbed his face tiredly.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Raphael yawned and slowly opened his eyes. He lay sprawled in his hammock, his arms and legs dangling off the sides. He glanced at his clock sleepily. It was four in the morning. He stretched his arms and sat up. Training would start in an hour, there wasn't any point in going back to sleep. He tied on his mask and belt which had rested on his nightstand atop a clutter of motorcycle magazines and a jumble of spare change. He tore his sais out of the wall and shoved them into his belt. He glanced about the room and spotted a guitar case in the corner of the room. He walked over to it and opened up the case, moving back and sitting down on his weight bench. He whistled at the sight of the guitar. It was crimson and edged in black.

He hadn't paid much attention to the guitar when Leo had gotten it for him. Of course he had thanked his brother, but he had been far more preoccupied with the new power tools that Don had gotten him. He strummed the guitar strings and nodded at the sound they made. He slid his hand down the neck of the guitar and frowned as he felt an indent in the wood. He turned the guitar over and studied the small indent. A name was carved in the neck.

"Chester Remsworth."

* * *

**A/N: And the conclusion nears. We're getting close to the end, everyone! I hope you guys still remember who Chester Remsworth is, if you do, then you know what's gonna go down in the next few chapters!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Yay, another chapter. I pre-wrote this because I knew I wouldn't have enough time this week to work on it. I'm busy with our military ball preparations, y'know? Plus, I'm currently addicted to Skyrim. It's so awesome! Also, Darker Than Black (an anime series I've been into for awhile) has taken a bit of my Fanfic time. Sorry, I promise that I'll be updating on my normal regular basis.**

**P.S. There's quite a bit of cussing in this first bit, so you were forewarned!**

**Disclaimer: I own not the TMNT. I bet you saw what I did there with that statement.**

* * *

Leo emerged from the bathroom. He tightened the mask over the red marks on his features. A fist struck his face and Leo stumbled back, his arms striking the doorjamb as he fell on his shell with a thud. He stared up at his red masked brother's face. Raphael looked furious. No. Furious was an understatement. Leo stared in shock, he had not expected the strike and he didn't know why Raph had struck him either.

"You fucking liar! You lying piece o'shit!" Raphael snarled as he drove a fist into Leo's abdomen. Suddenly the searing pain came back, racing through his veins and exploding at the point of contact from Raph's fist. Leo gasped out his breath but Raph was suddenly working his fists fast and striking his older brother as hard and as fast as he could.

"I fucking trusted you!"

Raphael moved up to Leo's face, driving a left hook into his brother's jaw.

"You fucking psychopath!"

Leo found himself paralyzed by pain. He didn't know how it was possible. He had been through so much more pain as a child. Why was this so much more painful?

"How many did you kill? How many people did ya fucking kill?!"

Leo brought his arms up in front of his face, Raph didn't seem to care. He punched Leo's forearms, blinded by his rage.

"Fucking talk you fucking piece of shit!"

Leo remained silent, he would let Raph work himself out before he even tried talking.

"You fucking asshole! You fucking killed innocent humans! Are ya gonna try t'kill us too?!"

Leo stiffened at that. Kill innocents? _Innocents_? The need rose up, angry-furious! He had not killed any innocents! They deserved to die! Kill them? Kill his brothers? Kill the very people he sought to protect? Kill the people he loved? Kill them?! Kill them?!  
The chain snapped. The need was loose. The monster was loose.

Leo's vision was laced with red. His eyes took on a furious glint. The need wanted-no-it demanded payment!

Leo's legs snapped out, knocking Raph back with a kick to the snout. Leo rose to his feet in a swift motion and sent a swift hook at his brother, testing the defenses and trying to slip in. Raph blocked the punch and Leo saw his opening. Leo aimed a crescent kick for Raph's throat only for his leg to be caught in a crushing grip. Leo twisted free, breaking off the contact. He darted forward again. His punches were deflected and he snarled angrily. He would need to use something else to get past his brother's guard. Leo ducked under a swift right cross. Time slowed just for a moment and a moment was all that Leonardo needed with Raphael' s exposed abdomen. Leo broke into a swift series of elbow strikes to Raph's stomach, causing the younger turtle to grunt with each strike. Leo sidestepped beside Raphael and released a powerful chopping strike to his brother's right side. The red masked terrapin clutched his stomach as he quickly turned around to face Leo. The younger turtle didn't know what had hit him. Leo had moved too fast. Too different.

Leo moved again, sprinting. He leapt at Raphael like a spear. Raph moved his hands in front of his body to block any kick that would come. A kick did not come. Leo's knee broke through Raphael's flimsy defense, snapping his brother's wrists. His knee impacted with Raph's sternum with a series of cracking sounds that had likely been the younger turtle' s rib cage. Raph's eyes went wide and blood streamed from the corners of his mouth. He stood stock still. His brain was in shock from the blow he had just taken.

Leo dropped into a crouch and sweep kicked Raphael. He shoved the red masked turtle onto his shell and wrapped his hands around his younger brother's throat. He squeezed, feeling the pleasurable sensation that arose from life slipping away. Raph struggled under his weight, but his injuries prevented him from doing much. The strike to his sternum had incapacitated him. It hurt to breathe, but that wouldn't matter much when Leo was strangling the life out of him. Blood filled Raph's mouth with a coppery taste. Raph's vision blurred and was spotted with black dots. Leo watched his brother writhe and his mouth open and close soundlessly.

Raph felt his strength wane. He was going to die. Leo was going to kill him.

_Crack!_

A piece of wood had struck Leo's face. The blue masked turtle was thrown back and landed on his shell with a thud.

Air. Precious air filled Raphael' s lungs and pain followed soon after. He stared at his purple masked brother who stood over him protectively while facing a stunned Leo. Donatello gripped his bo staff tightly and glared his eldest brother down. Leo shook his head and blinked several times.

He froze and stared at Raphael. He dropped his gaze to his hands in horror. He had lost control. He had tried to kill Raphael. He had tried to kill his brother. Memories flashed before his eyes swiftly. He shrank back in horror, not wanting to believe what he had done. Leo rose to his feet and ran, ignoring Don' s shouts. Leo escaped from the lair and raced through the sewers. The pain was still there, it raced through his veins like flames. His right shoulder throbbed painfully. It felt as if it had thousands of flaming needles jabbed into it.

Leo stumbled and fell on his plastron in dirty water. He yanked his mask off and tossed it aside. He bit back a scream of pain as a ripping sensation tore through his right hand. Pain. Pain. Pain!

Leo uneasily rose to his feet. His teeth were chattering. He dropped his gaze to his hand and stared in horror. Claws. He had _claws_. Leo staggered back.

"No! No! No!" He cried. He gripped one of his three claws with his left hand and pulled. Blood sprayed wildly, splattering on his face and plastron as the claw tore free. He tossed the bloody memento away but dropped to his knees as yet another claw took the missing one's place. Leo breathed in quick ragged breaths. He stared at his hand. It couldn't be possible. It could be happening!  
He heard voices and turned to spot several running shadows.

His family. He needed to get away from them. He needed to get away _now_. Leo rushed to his feet and sprinted again, leaving the mask where he had thrown it. He sprinted long and hard, ignoring the pain. He finally collapsed when he could run no more. He collapsed in a small pool of filthy water. He struggled to his hands and knees, wincing as his claws grated against the stone ground. Leo could feel the world spinning around him.

He shook his head and slowly rose to his feet. He froze and turned swiftly. A dark figure stood behind him, only the silhouette was visible. Leo stared. "Stay back. I can't promise your safety if you come any closer." He spoke.

The figure laughed coldly. "Where have I heard that before?"

Leo stiffened. That voice... it couldn't have been. The figure moved forward, becoming visible. Leo stared. It wasn't real. His mind want playing tricks on him.

The bipedal terrapin offered Leo a smirk. An ugly brown scar was visible on one side of the other turtle's head. Twin katanas were strapped to his carapace. Twin was a good word. There could have been no other explanation for the gray eyed turtle who stood there. He had a muscular tone to his body and the same emerald green skin tone as Leonardo.

"Hello, Naito." The other turtle greeted icily.

Leo-Naito slowly staggered to his feet. "Leo," he managed to say.

The other turtle laughed in ill humor. "Yes, that was the identity you tried to take from me. I am Leonardo. Not you. You're the crippled demon that used to haunt my dreams. Look at you. You're pathetic. You wouldn't deserve my name, let alone my identity."  
Naito straightened, still clutching his throbbing shoulder. "How... How did you... I thought you were dead."

Leo folded his arms across his plastron. "I was. However, a human found me and revived me back. I almost didn't survive, brother. Unluckily for you, I did survive. I am stronger now. After you tried to kill me, I realized that I needed to train so that I could beat you when we met again. It seems that won't matter much seeing you now. You wouldn't stand a chance against me."

Naito shook his head. "I don't want to fight you again."

"Then I will take my vengeance in another form." Leo said. He strode forward, calmly, and his right fist struck Naito's snout. Naito took the blow, he felt broken. He would let his brother take whatever revenge he wanted. Naito didn't have much of a purpose now and he knew he deserved everything Leo would do to him. Naito fell on his shell and kept himself still. He watched his twin calmly.  
Leo knelt down next to him and unsheathe a katana. The blade was long and sharp. He pressed the blade to Naito's throat. His gray eyes flared angrily.

Naito stared into those eyes and he saw something familiar. Naito smiled a small smile and closed his eyes,waiting for the blow that would finish it.

It never came. He opened his eyes and stared.

Leo's eyes were wide and confused.

"I can't. I've wanted this more than anything. Everything has led up to this and I can't do it. I can't kill you."

Naito remained silent.

"Why can't I do it? I've killed so many others. Why can't I kill you?!"

Leo released his grip on the katana and he turned away.

"Leo. I can do it for you." Naito said, his left hand wrapped around the katana hilt and he sat up to face his brother. Leo turned back to him with a shocked expression.

"You would take your own life for my sake?"

"Yes."

Leo was silent. He shook his head. "No. If you die, it has to be by my hand. I have to be the one to kill you." He said, yanking the katana from his brother's hand. He stood and faced his brother. His gaze narrowed. "You have to fight back. I can't kill you unless you fight back. So fight me!"

Naito shook his head. "I won't fight you."

Leo ground his teeth angrily. "What about the monster? Will the monster fight me?"

Naito's gaze snapped up angrily. "No! It will not fight you! I am in control here, not it!"

Leo smirked. "Really? What would make you fight me then? Hmm? Oh. I work for one of your worst enemies. I work for Agent Bishop. He revived me to health and trained me. I worked for him so that he would, in turn, help me track you down and kill you. I shot you up with a concoction of my own. I shot you with an anti-mutagen. It was meant to tear apart your genetic code and it's worked quite well so far."

Naito stood slowly and faced Leo with a glare fixed upon his features. "You're a fool, but I won't fight you. I can accept the lot that I have been dealt, Leo."

Leo laughed in ill humor. "Fine then. I'll go after the others. I'll kill the rat first, and then I will kill our adoptive brothers. Slowly. I will make sure they remember the real Leonardo."

Naito shook angrily. "You wouldn't dare attack your family."

Leo smirked. "I would. It was my intention from the very beginning, brother. I was going to kill you and then the family that left me to die. I will get my revenge, Naito. I don't care what it takes."

Naito cursed under his breath and unsheathed a katana. "Dammit Leo, it doesn't have to be this way!"

Leo raised his own katana. "It does. Either you fight me, or I kill them."

Naito growled angrily. He didn't want to attack Leo a second time. He didn't want to kill his twin, but he didn't have much of a choice but to fight. Leo would go after his family if he didn't fight.

Naito struck at his brother in a slash. Their blades met with a clang. They leaned in, shoving all of their weight against each other. Naito gritted his teeth grimly while Leo smirked savagely. The blades began to squeal as they slid and scraped. Leo headbutted Naito and the older turtle stumbled back. Naito brought up his katana to block an overhead slash. Leo slashed savagely. Naito ducked and dodged. Leo was definitely good with a katana. However. Naito was a master of kennjutsu.

Naito ducked under another slash and stabbed his blade up, underneath and inside of Leo's guard. The scarred turtle back stepped, narrowly avoiding a blade that would have impaled his throat. Naito rose to his feet.

The brothers regarded each other calmly and circled.

Leo smirked and spoke. "You still do not want to fight, even after what I have said and done."

"I do not wish to kill you."

Leo nodded and whipped his katana lightly. "I understand that. Surprisingly. Do you know why, brother?"

Naito grimaced. "Enlighten me."

"I have the same need as you. The need to kill. But I can't kill a certain few. Either I pity the person, I care for them, or it would happen to be a special case like you. Certain requirements would have to be met."

Naito nodded. He understood his brother's point. Leo smiled and continued.

"No one would ever be able to accept us for what we are. Not our adoptive brothers. Not our adoptive father. Not even Agent Bishop."  
"Why?" Naito asked.

"The world pushes us. It pushes us without mercy. When we push back, the world will point and cry that we are evil. And that brings up another question. Do you believe you are evil, brother?"

"No." Naito answered without hesitation. He clutched his throbbing shoulder and his gray gaze narrowed.

"Then what is it, brother? Are you good or bad?"

Naito shook his head. "I have wondered that my entire life. Am I a good person doing bad things? Or am I a bad person doing good things? Until now, I knew not the answer."

"Then what are you?"

"I am a serial killer."

Leo laughed at that, a true laugh. It was deep and resonant. It had a soft baritone sound to it. "A good answer, Naito. But, enough talk for now. I can see your strength waning. I would like to fight you while you are strong and able."

Naito nodded and readied himself, lifting his katana. They two took stances and studied each other silently. Leo rushed forward and Naito ran to meet him. Leo ducked under a slash and stabbed at Naito's abdomen. Naito sidestepped and kicked at Leo's face. Leo ducked to the side and swiped his katana at Naito's ankles. Naito slammed his katana in its path and a clang rang loudly in the tunnel. They fell into a type of rhythm. Naito would strike. Leo would evade. Leo would strike. Naito would evade.

Naito knew he could not afford to fight a long battle. He needed to end it swiftly. Leo stabbed at Naito's throat. Naito shifted his torso to the side and slammed his knee into Leo's solar plexus. Naito dropped into a crouch and kicked Leo's legs out from under him. Leo landed on his shell but rolled to his feet. He exhaled and his gray eyes narrowed. He hadn't expected a strike like that.

Naito flicked his katana and took a defensive stance. Leo raced at him, swing his katana at his face. Naito leaned back and his eye caught a flash of silver too late. He twisted to the side but something sharp slashed through his right side, just barely slicing through tightly knit muscle. Naito quickly made some distance between himself and his brother. He pressed his right hand to the wound. It was bleeding profusely.

"First blood." Leo stated flicking the blood from his second katana. Naito removed his hand from the wound. He adjusted the grip on his katana and released a deep breath before entering another stance.

"Last blood counts." He returned as he darted forward. Leo smirked as he ran to meet him.

Their blades met in a clash of sparks. Leo's two blades versus Naito's one katana. Naito could see the fault in his brother's fighting style now. Leo relied too much on his wits and strength, but it was still a deadly combination. Naito pushed forward, shoving his brother back. Naito suddenly shifted his weight up, forcing Leo's katanas up. Naito then dropped his katana and drove two fists into the base of Leo's throat, using his powerful legs as the force behind the blow. Leo had managed to move back in an attempt to escape the attack but Naito was too fast. Leo stumbled back, spitting blood and coughing. His shell thudded against a wall and he seemed dazed for a moment. Naito scooped up his katana and rushed forward.

He was no longer using ninjutsu, as it seemed that that was what Leo knew. He was mixing everything he knew. Every punch, every kick, every take down... they all flashed through his mind at that moment. Naito suddenly froze as pain shot up his spine. He dropped his katana and fell flat on his plastron, splashing in the shallow water. He mentally cursed. It could have ended there. He could have finished it.

Leo rubbed his throat and straightened. He approached his fallen brother and stood over him, staring. Naito grunted in pain and lifted his torso up with shaking arms. Leo knelt before his brother and lifted Naito's chin up so that their eyes met.

"That was good. Really good. I should be dead. You have my respect. However, I hold the blade now, and you did fight very well. I can kill you now. After I kill you, I will kill our family."

Naito growled at that and pulled away from Leo but his brother held him fast. "They deserve to die just as much as you, brother. They didn't know me well enough to see an impostor."

"Splinter did."

Leo frowned. "What?"

"He found out and I told him I had killed you. He attempted to kill me."

"Yet you are here before me."

"They needed Leonardo."

Leo laughed. "Me, huh, that's," he began.

"Not you. I figured it out now. You deserved to die that day. Harsh as it may sound, the law of retribution states that I had every right to kill you. You left me to die and I did the same. Our debt to each other is repaid. We both survived, and that is a testament to our strength, genetics, or whatever you want to call it. Either way, I don't owe you a damn thing. You threatened _my_ family. I will not be idle as you do so." Naito stated, his eyes were fierce and unwavering. Leo found it unsettling.

Leo growled and slammed his brother's skull against the ground, emitting a grunt from Naito. "You have no strength to fight me, brother." He hissed through his teeth. There was a pause. "I do not need strength."

Leo fell back as a flash of silver flew at him. A shuriken glanced against his raised katana. He rose to his feet, as did Naito. The latter looked worse for wear. Naito looked ready to fall over. The anti-mutagen in his bloodstream was taking its toll on him. Every part of his body radiated pain. He would have very much liked for Leo to run him through then and there for an escape from the pain. Naito instead inhaled and exhaled deeply. He had to protect his family this one last time. Leo was a major threat. Raphael could have stood a chance against Leo, but he was in no shape to fight. Don and Mikey could maybe handle him, it was a big maybe. Leo seemed to be nearly equal to Naito in his fighting prowess. Even Master Splinter would have a hard time facing Leo.

So Naito stood ready, through the pain. He had one thing left to do. He had to kill his twin again, as much as it pained him, it had to be done. The only problem was that in his current state, he didn't stand a chance.

Naito scooped up his katana and rushed forward. He swung at Leo, who easily blocked the blow. They exchanged blows, each blocking and neither landing a hit.

There was a spray of blood as Leo's katana tore through the back of Naito's right forearm. Naito grunted at the hit and twisted aside to escape a slash that would have taken his right arm. In his twist, his back was turned to Leo for a moment.

A moment was enough.

Leo moved in and both of his katanas stabbed through Naito's shell and stuck out of his plastron like gory spikes. Naito gritted his teeth and screwed his eyes shut. His katana changed to the ground.

Leo smirked and twisted both blades. Naito grunted in pain.

"I'll kill our family after this. I just want to see the life fade from your eyes."

Naito turned his head slowly to glance at Leo's gray gaze. Naito's gray eyes were calm. Leo blanched and dropped his gaze to his plastron. A katana hilt jutted out of his midsection. Naito's clawed right hand was wrapped around the hilt. Leo shuddered and blood streamed from the corners of his mouth.

"You opened yourself on purpose. You meant for this happen." Leo managed.

"My family is my priority. I knew I was going to die. I wished I wouldn't have had to do this, Leo." Naito whispered, leaning into his brother as his life drained away. Leo leaned into his brother as well, his strength rapidly fading away.

"Naito... I... I don't want to die again." Leo whispered back, his coldness quickly disappeared.

"Hush, brother. Let the darkness take away the pain."

"I... I am afraid of it, Naito."

Naito released his grip on his katana. He reached back for his brother's hands and removed them from the katana hilts. Naito turned and wrapped his arms around his twin as they sank to the ground.

"Fear not the night, brother. Dawn is but a heartbeat away." He whispered as their heartbeats waned.

"I'm sorry for everything." Naito sighed.

Leo was silent for a moment. Naito stiffened. Was he already dead?

Then his younger brother stirred and wrapped his arms around Naito.

"I forgive you." Leo replied.

Naito closed his eyes with a smile and all went still.

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**A/N: Just when they were reunited, too. Cue the evil laughter, folks.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry about last week's update, but this chappy has been hell to write. I did get to see the latest few episodes of TMNT and they've been pretty good. Some of you might know about my slight disappointment with the new series, but I'm warming up to it. I think it was because of the new Karai. I think she's** spectacular.** Anyways, please enjoy!**

**Alright, it seems something went wrong when I uploaded, so let's try this again, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

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Pain. Without it, he wouldn't have thought he was alive. Raphael wheezed his breaths. How it hurt to breathe. Leo had attacked him. Raph didn't know his brother could move that fast. His chest ached with each breath. He now lay on Don's bed, having been carefully tended to. He feared for his two younger brothers. They had gone after Leo in hopes to drag him back alive or unconscious. Raphael ground his teeth angrily. He had wanted to pursue Leo as well. It wasn't safe for either of his younger brothers to face Leo in a fight.

Although, Raph knew something was wrong with their homicidal leader. It wasn't even the homicidal bit. Leo had looked terrified after Don had struck him. It was as if Leo had just realized that he had nearly killed his brother. Like something else had driven him to attack Raphael.

It was unnerving, but it explained a lot if Raph thought about it. A soft furred hand brushed against Raphael's forehead. The terrapin visibly relaxed under the tender touch.

"I am sorry, my son." The elderly master whispered softly. "I have created a monster."

...

"Mikey, hurry, this way!"

_Clang!_

"Don! Did you hear that?"

"Yeah, hurry!"

The two turtles rushed through the sewer tunnels, following the sounds of clanging metal. They heard a cry of pain and doubled their efforts. Many thoughts raced through the two ninjas minds. Was Leo in trouble, or was someone else in trouble because of him? The two could not place it, but they knew they needed to find their brother quickly and take him back to the lair by any means necessary.

"Donnie, why did Leo attack Raph? It doesn't make any sense!" Mikey asked his brother as they sprinted.

Don shook his head. "Raph called Leo a murderer, and I guess Leo snapped. I... I don't want to believe it, but you saw Raph. Nothing but Shredder could have done that to him. I can't believe Leo could have done something so cruel to Raph. Mikey, he tried to strangle him to death."

Mikey swallowed as he ran alongside his brother. "Leo always seemed the least likely to do something like this, Donnie. He was our big brother! He was supposed to protect us!"

"He is our big brother, Mikey. We'll just have to get him to come back to the lair and maybe we can fix everything."

"You can't fix a person, Donnie! It doesn't work like that!"

"Mikey, I didn't-oh no. Oh no. Oh no." Don's fierce tone drowned to a whisper as the coppery scent of blood filled the air. The two brothers froze in their tracks as they stood just a few feet away from two almost identical corpses. Green skin. Athletic build. Rough carapace and scarred bodies. Mikey raced forward, shoving Don aside and dropping to his knees beside the still forms that were cradled in each other's arms. He frantically felt for a pulse on either body and turned to Don with enormous terrified eyes.

"Donnie, help them! Help Leo!"

Don slowly approached, unable to voice his thoughts. Identical turtles. Both dead.

Twins.

"Mikey, they're dead, there's nothing I can do for them anymore except," Don began.

There was a rasping sound, like that of something struggling to breathe. One of the turtle's eyes slowly cracked open. His gaze was pale gray, almost crystalline.

"Leo..." Mikey whispered cautiously.

The turtle's gaze tiredly flicked to the orange masked terrapin. Vibrant markings were visible on his blood specked features. He weakly breathed in another breath and turned his gaze back to the corpse he clutched in his arms.

"Donnie! Leo's still alive, we can save him!"

Don rushed to his elder brother's side and nodded to Mikey. "He's in bad shape, but these swords just barely missed his vital organs by the looks of it. He'll make it, we need to get him out of here though, quick!"

Mikey nodded and the two brothers quickly moved to carry the marked turtle. Naito uttered a low growl, not having the strength to do more than that. He kept his grip latched onto his twin and struggled weakly. He would not be torn away from Leo a second time. He could not leave his twin again!

He had not the strength and his brother's managed to pry him from Leo's body. The marked turtle's eyes were wet and burned with tears. He snarled at his brothers, his ability to speak had waned just like the rest of him. Leo's anti mutagen had actually saved him. It kept rebuilding his organs even as it tore them down. His legs were useless again. He was paralyzed from the hips down. Naito still struggled in their grip with animalistic sounds and he kept trying to reach for Leo. His brothers carried him away, hurrying to the lair.

Naito stared at his twin's body as his brothers carried him away. He closed his eyes and went limp in his brothers' grip. Defeated. Naito's clawed hands twitched. When would his brothers realize he was different?

Why couldn't they have left him with Leo. His beloved twin brother. His REAL brother. Now Leo was alone again. Just like he had been all those years ago. Leo was laying in sewer water, wounded, dying, and alone. No one should ever have to die alone. Naito didn't even let his victims die alone. He knew what it was like to be alone. He knew what it was like to be dying and alone. It was a cruel thing. No one wanted to die alone.

Tears gently streamed down his cheeks. He had failed his brother again. "Forgive me, Leo..." He thought sadly.

...

Raph glanced up at the sound of padding feet. Mikey and Don entered the lab carrying a bloody mess that could only have been their brother. He stared. Was Leo even alive?

Master Splinter stared as well. He had thought Leonardo would have ran off far away and never return. He tensed. Were Leonardo's wounds self inflicted?

Don and Mikey gently laid their eldest brother on a cot and Don took charge. He quickly raced about, cleaning and sterilizing wounds. He rushed himself, Raphael noticed. Don finished up and ran off with Mikey tailing him. The two conscious members of the family blinked at the sudden departure. Raph glanced at his older brother and tensed.

Naito's eyes cracked open. They drifted over to Raphael. The red masked turtle stared. Naito's eyes were filled with pain. Naito turned his gaze to Master Splinter. The elderly ninja stood and approached the wounded turtle. He knelt by Naito's head and whispered something. Naito flinched somewhat and shook his head. He pointed to his eyes and then to himself.

Master Splinter frowned. He shook his head and spoke again in that hushed tone. Naito shook his head again. Raphael watched. A growing pressure built up in his chest and filled his head. He ground his teeth angrily.

Leonardo was a murderer. A serial killer. A homicidal nutcase. Why was Master Splinter talking to him so calmly? Was it because Leo was the favorite? He'd always been the favorite! Despite everything that had happened, Master Splinter still saw Leo as the favorite! Bullshit! Where we're his other brothers to back him up? Weren't they at all worried about Raphael? He had only just been nearly strangled to death by their dear asshole older brother! Why had Don and Mikey ran off and left their murderous older brother here? Were they running away from the problem? Like cowards! A furious growl rumbled in his throat and pain landed through his chest.

"Are you fuckin' kidding me?! There's a fuckin' murder here in the family and yer' just gonna talk to him? Is everyone forgetting that Leo tried to murder me!"

Naito's gray gaze darted up to face Raphael and the younger turtle found himself stilled by the pain, anger, and sorrow in his older brother's gaze.

"Leo never tried to kill you. It was me, Raphael." Naito rumbled dangerously. Splinter froze and stared at Naito. His love for his adoptive brothers was only rivaled by his love for his twin, who was no longer with him. His twin was gone again. This time, he could not count on Leo to return from the dead. Naito had slain his beloved twin brother twice. He found that he didn't care if his adoptive brothers hated him or not.

At one point, he had cared. That was when he had begun to forget the real Leo. He had been blinded by emotion and guilt. After killing his twin a second time, Naito could only feel guilt for him. Raphael was alive and well and did not have to live with what either twin had been forced to endure. Raphael had had the better end of the stick than the twins.

Raph shook off his stillness and glared, their sensei was forgotten then. Splinter watched silently, conflicting emotions waged a war inside of him. Naito was different again.

"Are you a fucking psycho now, Leo? Huh? Is that it? Is that why you fucking," Raph began, ignoring the pain that accompanied each word he spat.

Naito's eyes flared dangerously. "Do not shame his name once more, Raphael. I am not Leonardo. My name is Naito. If you want to curse at me, then use my real name."

Raph sputtered curse words angrily at being interrupted by Naito's seemingly mad spouts. "You're fucking crazy, Leo! You got two personalities now?! Fucking psychopath murderer." Raph snarled.

"I am not Leo, you idiot!" Naito snarled back. All brotherly affection he had previously held was gone and replaced with anger. Naito was but a shell of the fake Leonardo he had been. His world had fallen apart three times today. Raphael had found his big murderous secret. He had attacked Raphael with the intent to kill him. He had killed his twin just as they were reunited. His life, it seemed, was doomed to be a tragedy. He was sick of it. Sick of enduring the pain, the insults, and the blame for everything. He wanted out of this all. His reasons for being Leonardo were all gone. He was Naito again. He was nothing again. Alone. No, he had always been alone. He had always been alone.

He clenched his left hand into a fist and glared daggers at Raphael.

Raph glared back, not having come up with a comeback yet while Master Splinter remained uncharacteristically silent. He hadn't reprimanded Raph for his language. He hadn't smacked Naito for saying what he had. He hadn't done anything but sit and watch with a blank expression. Naito wasn't sure what to make of it, but at this point he didn't care.

Just as Raph opened his mouth to spit an insult at Naito, Don and Mikey shuffled into the room and carried a battered and bloody body to a cot.

Naito stiffened and sat up quickly, ignoring the agonizing pain that tore through his body. His gray gazed dulled to one of worry. Raph stared at the wounded newcomer. The terrapin was nearly identical to Naito, with the exception of an ugly brown scar on the side of his head and the lack of colorful markings on his face. Dried blood was encrusted on his body around his abdomen. Don became a whirlwind as Mikey retreated to Splinter' s side. Their master was the only one who seemed unchanged by everything. He was the only sense of normalcy in naive Mikey's mind.

Naito stared at his twin. Leo had to dead, but why would Don be working to mend his twin's wounds then? Could it be that Leo was still alive? Naito swallowed fearfully. His twin brother. His beloved Leo. Alive. It was a desperate thought. It was a hopeful thought. He shot Raph a look and the younger turtle turned to him. Naito had changed again. Gone was his anger. Gone was his sorrow. Gone was his pain. Naito held a serious and calm expression dashed with but a pinch of guilt. Raph met his gaze with a confused expression.

Naito nodded. "As I said, I am not Leo. He is." He said in a subdued tone, nodding to the unconscious terrapin. He ignored the possibility of Leo dying here. He trusted Don to save his twin. Don was intelligent and capable and he could work miracles with even the most dire of injuries. Naito had to trust him.  
Still, he could see that his adoptive brothers were listening to him, even Donatello.

"I am Leo's twin brother, Naito. I was separated from the rest of you when we all fell into the sewers. I was crippled. I was malnourished. I was an animal. I was desperate. I was... I did what I could to survive. Sometimes, that meant I had to kill."

Master Splinter tensed.

"I killed a human when I was seven. He was going to kill me and I wanted to survive. So I killed him."

Raph made to say something insulting but a look from Splinter silenced him.  
"I didn't have the same reason... when I attacked Leo. He had abandoned me and that made me angry beyond reason. I remembered the power I had over the human and I wanted Leo to know the pain I had endured. I thought I had killed him. After that, I couldn't face myself. I was cursed. I had... have... a monster deep inside of me. It pushes me to kill. When I don't kill, I lose control. Like I did with you, Raph. I'm not your brother. I'm not even the person all of you thought I was."

"But,that doesn't mean I never loved any of you, because I did. I do. I even tried to... I even tried to kill myself to save all of you." He lied the latter as he nearly revealed Leo's intentions for his family. Leo was his priority right now.  
All was silent for a moment.

The silence was broken by harsh laughter. All eyes turned to Raphael. The red masked turtle leveled a glare on Naito. His amber eyes blazed with anger.  
"You expect a story like that t'make us pity you? You say you've been killing since you were seven? You think that makes us feel sorry for ya'? Yer' fucking pathetic. Yer' fucking pathetic! I knew there was somethin' wrong with ya' after all these years! Not only did you lie to me about everythin'. You lied to all of us! You killed your own twin! Twice! If anyone deserves t'die, _Retribution, _then it's you!" He snapped, spitting the name like a disgusting drink.

Everyone else was silent for a moment.

"As much as I hate to admit, Raph is right." Mikey whispered almost silently.

Naito shot his brothers venomous looks."If my death brings closure, then so be it. I will not fight back."

"No, it's not right. I just worked to save you! Don't any of you realize how precious life is? Don't you realize how fragile we are? Le-Naito is a testament to that! He's survived. He deserves punishment, yes, but killing is not the answer! Are we going to be hypocrites by killing someone-our brother!-for killing!? No, you guys are not going to kill him while I'm here."

"Are you an idiot? Don't you-" Raph began.

"Enough!" Master Splinter snapped, rising to his feet. He shot all of his sons a fixed glare.

"You do not decide who lives and dies in this family. That right alone belongs to the head of family. Your brother made a decision and he must face the consequences, but now is not the time for such action. Leonardo has returned to us. Have all of you forgotten that we have another member of this family with us who needs all the assistance that is available?"

The turtles were silent, although Raph held a fixed glare on Naito who ignored him.

...

Days passed. No one talked to Naito. Michelangelo left food for him, but that was all. He recovered his strength and his wounds knitted. He was faster at recovering than he had thought. Still no one had noticed his swift recovery. Naito was healthy and whole again. That surprised him. He should have fallen apart by now. His genetic code should have been broken. Why was he still sentient and in his mutant form? If anything, he was stronger now. His body had never recovered from something so quickly.

He ran an unclawed hand over the scars on his plastron where Leo had run him through with his katana. He didn't know what to make of it. Had Leo failed in his anti-mutagen? It had been working at first. It was working really well. Naito had felt everything breaking down in his body and being rearranged. It was extremely painful at the time. Somehow, his body had recovered from it.  
Naito glanced at his twin brother. Leo lay on a bed, his abdomen was wrapped and his eyes were closed while his chest rose and fell slowly. Naito sighed and relaxed back into the bed. How would Leo react when he awoke to find the family that abandoned him?

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**A/N: Sorry if this update was a little short or... different, but I'm uploading from my kindle, so it's really time consuming to edit. I'll have the next chapter ready soon, and I will have a few new fics coming out soon. Also, I'm working on my novel again, so updates may be a little slow.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hey there, here's another update because I know I owe you guys a second update to make up for last week. Anyways, this fic is almost over. I see one or two chapters left followed by an epilogue. I do want add that the first part is 1st person because those are direct memories and thoughts from Leo's past.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

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_My body is broken. I can't move. I can't speak. I can barely breathe. My ribs are crushing me. Tears mix with blood. I'm in so much pain that parts of my body are beginning to lose feeling. I'm going to die here._

_He killed me._

_Naito._

_I knew he was evil. He's always wanted to do this so he could eat me. He'll sink his teeth in my flesh any moment now... but where is he? He's not here. He left me._

_I whimpered. He left me to die alone._

_"What's this?" A voice whispered. It was smooth and deep._

_I cracked my eyes open. I could just make out a man's shape. I breathed in another wracking breath, tears ran from my eyes from the pain._

_"I'll get you out of here." The man said._

_..._

_"What did you do, Leonardo?" A deep voice whispered._

_"I... It just... I snapped, sir."_

_"You snapped? Leonardo, this isn't good. It's going to take a lot of convincing to cover this up!" The voice snarled. "But..." It continued in a softer tone. "I should have seen it coming. All that unbridled anger... it was bound to happen. I'll teach you how to cover up your tracks. You'll be a neat little monster."_

_"Th-thank you, sir!"_

_..._

_"I told you to kill her, not spray her blood all over the walls in a giant messy finger painting! Clean it up, now!"_

_"Sorry, sir. Yes, sir."_

_..._

_"Where did you put the blood? You sly devil. You drained him dry before you cut him up. Very clever, Leonardo. Very clever."_

_..._

_"There's been a large number of murders coming from New York. Successful but messy. It almost reminds me of your first kills. Take care of the fool and make it quiet."_

_..._

_"Your twin? The one who tried to murder you? Very opportune, isn't it? Very well, go. Kill him. Make it slow. Make it quick. Do whatever you want. You've earned him."_

_..._

_I stared at the shadows as I made my way through the sewers, a child once more. Young, and very afraid. I froze at the sound of movement. I spotted a scampering rat. Good. Just a rat. I sighed and continued on my way. Today was the day. I wasn't going to go back to Naito. He was cruel. He was evil._

_I didn't think of the consequences. What does a monster need me for?_

_I was happy again. I played with my brothers. Raph and I would pick on Mikey while Don and I would play with the computer. Mikey and I would pick back on Raph, but Raph always only went back after Mikey. I was the eldest. I was the strongest and the smartest and they all loved me._  
_Even Master Splinter could see it. He loved me more than the others. I was the favorite, despite my lack of concentration. I didn't want to train and meditate. There were always better things to do._  
_I started reading books. Not fairy tales. Not that fiction stuff either. I read books on medicine, anatomy, genetic code, everything. Nothing was unattainable._

_Naito faded to the back of my mind. He became a distant memory. He became a distant fear. He was something like a boogeyman to me. Never haunting me unless I was alone in the dark. That was my biggest fear: absolute darkness. The Night itself. I was always afraid that he would find me. He force me to scavenge food for him, or eat me. I could never be certain. He had been a disgusting creature, but at one point, he had also been my twin brother. We had hatched from the same egg. We were bonded by more than blood._

_As I read through my books, I began to wonder about him. Was he alive? Was he dead? Had he starved? Had he been eaten?_

_Never had I considered the pain he had endured as I lived amongst my adoptive brothers... until the day he tried to kill me._

_He was alone and dying, because of me. I had been selfish and afraid and our vendetta began because of me. I can see now why he wanted to kill me that first time. He had every right to do it. I tried to kill him and I failed._

_He tried to kill me and he failed._

_..._

_The cycle would continue. Until we killed each other. I think we both saw it coming. Death was imminent, no matter the circumstances. But... I didn't think that I would have been the one to die. Sure, we both were dealt killing blows, but he didn't succumb... He was strong. Despite the anti-mutagen and the blows I dealt to him both physically and emotionally had near to no effect on him._  
_In the end, I was the one who broke down. Naito, of all people, comforted me. He wouldn't let me die alone. How could he still care after what I did to him?_

_I had had every intention of killing him, but I couldn't really do it._

_I think I was losing it. When I had chased after Naito, I wasn't thinking rationally. I was only thinking of the kill. That's not like me. The me I used to be anyways._

_Even when I gutted him, I didn't feel like myself. Maybe it was my other side that took over. The side of me that relishes death._

_I don't know what made me do it. Perhaps it was me breaking free of the other's control, maybe it was just that I finally forgave Naito, or maybe it was because I knew how fragile life was. Being a person who deals out death makes me also more partial to life. I know what it takes to wring someone of their life. Maybe that was what led me to do what I did as we laid dying in each other's arms._

_I removed a syringe from my belt that was filled with a liquid that would counteract the anti-mutagen. I slipped the needle under his skin and injected it into his system. At least I would get to do something good before I died._

_Yet, I have to wonder. What did Naito do to drive him this far from the lair and our adoptive brothers?_

_..._

Leo awakened. He didn't open his eyes, but he became aware. He listened quietly to the sounds about him. He made no change of his breathing or anything else of the sort. There was a near silent breathing nearby. It was even and relaxed. Leo recognized the presence of his twin brother. Naito was there, watching over him.

Leo cracked his eyes open. Identical crystalline gray eyes met his.

"Brother," Naito breathed. He looked worn out but very much alive, healthy, and still a mutant. Leo sighed. His injection had worked.

"Where are we?" Leo asked in an equally quiet tone. If Naito was speaking quietly, he would too.  
Naito laid on a bed across the room. He had risen onto his elbows and gazed at Leo with as worried and relieved an expression could be. The vibrant markings that once adorned his features were gone, leaving emerald green skin in its place. Naito bit his lip and glanced at the door.

"Our adoptive family."

Leo stiffened. He had forgiven Naito, yes, but they hadn't even been able to tell the difference between him and Naito. How could he forgive them for forgetting him? He knew Naito had some ill harbored feelings towards them as well. He wanted to continue pondering it over, but a look from Naito drew him out of his thoughts.

"What?" Leo asked.

"Do you still plan to..." Naito trailed.

Leo frowned. He glanced at his hands and back to Naito. "No. I ended my vendetta, just like you did. But that doesn't mean I'll forgive them. I forgave you because... well I realized I was wrong. I'm in control of my senses now."

Naito nodded and glanced at the door. He still had the more heightened senses of the two. His gaze narrowed. "They're coming in. Please keep silent and play the pity card if they talk to you."

Leo nodded. He would let his twin lead. He didn't know the adoptive family as well as Naito did. He was content to play along, but if they started in on him, he would not sit by idly.

The door opened and Mikey stepped in. He held a tray with a bottle of water and a bowl of soup. His eyes lit up at the sight of Leo awake. He quickly made his way over, ignoring Naito's calm gray gaze.

"Are you feeling okay? I made some soup for you. Donnie said he can't wait to talk to you. What were you doing for twelve years? How'd you get that scar? Where've you been? Did you miss us?" He babbled noisily as he set the tray next to Leo.

The scarred turtle fought off a growl that rumbled dangerously in his throat. How did Michelangelo have the audacity to ask such a question?! Did he miss them?!

Naito sensed the anger that boiled dangerously.

"Michelangelo, he is not ready to speak." Naito spoke gently.

Mikey whirled on his older brother. "What do you know? You're just a killer! You have nothing to say, so shut up! Leo can speak for himself!"

Naito's expression remained calm and patient, but Leo could tell that his brother was a whirling mass of tense emotions on the inside. So that was what it was that drove Naito away. His family had found out about the monster. Leo had to feel sorry for his brother. Leo didn't have that sort of problem. No one cared if he killed. Bishop had encouraged it.

"He's my twin brother, and he knows more about me than you ever will." Leo finally spoke, his voice was harsher than Naito's and Mikey cringed when he spoke.

"I spent twelve years away and Naito is the only one who knows what I went through. I will not forgive any of you for replacing me. None of you even realized I was gone. Naito is my only brother and I will be leaving this place when I am recovered. I suggest you tell your brothers how I feel and leave me alone." He spoke evenly with an edge to his voice.

Mikey stared and bit his lower lip before nodding and shuffling out of the room.

Naito gave Leo a look. The younger turtle frowned. "What? He shouldn't have talked like that to you. He doesn't know anything."

Naito sighed. "Please don't hurt any of them, either physically or emotionally. You never change. Always hotheaded."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Do you want to come with me? We can leave this cursed place and be who we truly are."

Naito looked at him with a sad expression. "As much as I would like to put it all behind me, I have a responsibility to them."

Leo shook his head. "Suit yourself." He said, dropping back into the bed. "I don't see why you wanna be stuck with them."

"I don't see how you want to be stuck with Bishop."

Leo rolled his eyes and glanced at his brother. Naito had a serious expression on his features. "He tried dissecting the others and I."

Leo waved a hand dismissively. "He wasn't going to kill you. He's cut me open plenty of times, all for the betterment of science." He rapped on his plastron. "Nothing's missing."

Naito's expression didn't change. "He's dangerous, Leo. Be careful."

"Whatever. I'm going to sleep. Make sure your brother's don't stab me while I sleep."

"They won't. They're not like us."

...

Naito kept his shell to the wall as he watched over his twin brother. Despite everything, Leo actually made him happy. Naito glanced at the door at the sound of muffled voices. He didn't know what was going on behind that door but he knew one thing. They were going to kill him.

They were going to banish him from the clan. Denounce him... and kill him. It was a dishonorable type of death. Splinter had chosen it well. He wanted to clean the bloodline.

Donatello did not seem happy about it.

Michelangelo was quiet.

Even Raphael was hesitant.

Master Splinter was all too eager. Naito frowned. Had Leo's return reignited an old hatred?

Naito sighed. He didn't want to die, but by the law of retribution and his honor, he damn well deserved it.

Naito glanced at Leo's sleeping form. He smiled sadly. He couldn't tell Leo.

Leo would kill them if he knew.

Naito wasn't sure how they had so suddenly formed such a close bond so swiftly. Leo used to hate him with a passion. Perhaps it was their sharing of an egg. Perhaps it was the near death experience they had suffered at each other's hand. Naito stared hard at his brother.

Maybe it was because they had both felt the same hardship.

Abandonment.

Death.

Betrayal.

Naito glanced at the door. It wouldn't be long now. He could hear Splinter completing a ceremony that would name Raphael as the next succeeding son.

Naito closed his eyes with a small smile.

He didn't know why death always made him feel so much more at ease.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, that's a taste of Leo's personality. Having been raised by Bishop, he grew a rather dark sense of humor. He is intelligent and more scientifically inclined while his temper often makes him act rashly. So, will he find out that Naito's gonna be "put down"?**

**Please review? 9_9**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Well, my computer was down last week, so I was unable to update. On the bright side, I'll have a new fic up soon!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

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Leo stood at the entrance, Naito at his side. His katanas were strapped to his shell with a thick leather strap. A black belt was wrapped about his waist where a handgun rested on his hip. His knees and ankles were wrapped with thick black leather strips. He wore a black leather gauntlet on his left hand.

He fixed his older brother with a dark gray gaze.

Naito looked him over with but a movement of his crystalline gray eyes.

"So this is your... business attire." Naito muttered as he rested his hands on his belt.

Leo smirked at him. "You could say that." He glanced at the ground and back up at Naito. There was a strange darkness in his eyes. "Brother, come with me." He said with a forlorn look.

Naito sighed and he stared at Leo's gray gaze. "I can't. I have a responsibility to them."

Leo's eyes flashed angrily and he strode up to his twin.

"They don't accept you, Naito. They'll never accept you. Why would you want to stay here?" Leo snarled suddenly, grasping his twin by the shoulders with a blazing gaze.

Naito gave him a calm look. "Because I still love them." He said. Naito gently removed Leo's hand from his shoulders. "They're not like either of us. They can't protect themselves like us. We're different from them. They are vulnerable to the darkness around us."

Naito released Leo's hands. "I love you, brother, and I wish I could go with you-but they need me."

Leo's gaze shifted over Naito's shoulder and he tensed with a scowl upon his features. Naito turned and watched Raphael approach, followed by Don, Mikey, and Master Splinter. Naito calmly watched as his adoptive family halted not more than a few feet away. Each held expressionless faces and stood stiff.  
Raphael crossed his arms over his plastron with smoldering amber eyes.  
"Raph," Naito began. The red masked terrapin shot him a look that was a mix of anger and hesitance.

"You need to be quiet unless I address you." He spoke swiftly. Naito opened his mouth but shut it. Raphael's face still bore the ritual marks from the ceremony that named him as the successor. Naito was lower than Raphael in clan status and had to obey his younger brother because of that, even though when it had been the reverse, Raphael had not respected that rule.

Naito bowed his head and stepped back.

Raph quickly surged forward, between Leo and Naito.

Leo leveled a blazing dark gray gaze on Raphael. He glanced at Naito who only gave the slightest shake of his head. Leo tensed and clenched his hands into fists before turning his gaze back to Raphael. Leo wasn't taller than Raph, but he was far more intimidating. The scars that adorned his flesh as well as the way he stared at Raph as if the red masked turtle were no more than a child was unsettling. Still, Raphael maintained eye contact, never flinching under the scrutiny.

"You still wanna leave, huh?" Raph asked, his voice dripping with restrained disgust and contempt. He had heard of what Leo had said to Mikey, and he hadn't been a bit happy about it.

Leo folded his arms across his plastron. "Yes. I thought I made that clear."

Raph tensed and Leo noticed his muscles bunch up.

"I don't think it's a good idea. Ya' only just got back."

Leo's gaze narrowed to slits, even Naito tensed.

"That's not my concern. I have things to take care of."

Leo noticed the slight twitch of Raphael's hand as well as the subtle shifting of the other two turtles. His hands dropped to his side to rest on his belt and his Glock handgun. He made his appearance to be casual, but he knew they sensed the danger from him.

"We can't let you do that. You'll endanger our home now that you know where we live. You're one of us, if humans get a hold of ya', then we're likely to be hunted down. This is fer' yer' own safety." Raph said as he unsheathed his sais. Leo quickly leapt aside, barely avoiding a bo staff.

He rolled and rose to his feet, drawing his handgun as he did so.

Naito leapt out behind Raphael and wrapped his arms around Raph's throat, squeezing hard as he dragged the red masked terrapin back. Mikey and Don turned at the sound of strangled breaths, spotting Naito strangling Raph. Naito's crystalline gray gaze met Leo's darker gray gaze. "Run." He mouthed.  
Leo nodded and turned to sprint off only to come snout to snout with Master Splinter. An open palm strike to his abdomen sent him reeling back and to the ground on his shell.

Leo rolled aside, dodging a strike from Splinter's cane. He rose onto his feet and faced the aged sensei. He slipped his Glock back into its holster. At this range, it wouldn't be of any use, not against a ninjutsu master.

There was a series of loud smacking sounds just as a dark figure skidded between Splinter and Leo. Naito turned his head and nodded at Leo. He turned back to Master Splinter and entered a fighting stance. The aged sensei shot him a furious look and sprinted forward. Naito blocked the first few punches with his left arm. He ducked under another and twisted out of the path of an elbow.

They became a flurry of strikes without interruption. Splinter landed a solid chop to the side of Naito's abdomen, eliciting a grunt from the terrapin warrior. Naito, however, clamped a hand over Splinter's wrist, pressing it firmly against his side. Naito twisted to the right, dragging his lighter opponent with him. He then twisted his master's arm, forcing the sensei into an uncomfortable position lest his arm snap.

Naito turned to Leo, a calm look of acceptance plastered on his features. "Go." He said, knowing that the joint lock would not last long.

Leo hesitated for a split second before sprinting past Naito.

Master Splinter twisted his body and wrapped a hand around Naito's right wrist and jerked sharply. Naito blinked and found himself in a very uncomfortable position with his arm turned sharply behind his shell. A chop to the back of his neck sent stars into his vision. His vision darkened. Naito's eyes rolled back and he toppled onto his plastron as his sensei released him.

...

"Reporting for duty, Sir." Leo said as he snapped a crisp salute at the dark silhouette of Agent Bishop. The terrapin stood in a dimly lit room. His gray eyes were calm but restless.

"Welcome back, Leonardo. You've been gone for a long while." Bishop said as he turned to face the turtle. "At ease. Do tell, though, what took so long?"

Leo relaxed, dropping his salute. He folded his arms across his plastron and looked Bishop in the eye. "Nothing, it was just business."

"Business."

"Yeah, business."

Bishop chuckled. "I thought it was more personal than that. Wasn't he your brother? The person who tried to kill you and took your place?"

Leo muttered something under his breath and dropped his gaze to the floor.  
Bishop frowned. "You did kill him, right?"

Leo remained silent.

Bishop adjusted his shades and crossed his arms in front of him. "He is a threat to the state, Leonardo. I gave you an order and you defied it. You were to kill him. Explain yourself."

"I was wrong. I meant to kill him, I was going to do it, but I couldn't. He's like me. More than I thought, Sir."

Bishop stared through him, he sighed. "That's disappointing, Leonardo."

Leo raised his gaze to meet Bishop's. The human did not look pleased.

"This wasn't about your personal vendetta, Leonardo. The government needs this taken care of. I'm reassigning you to Detroit, where you can rethink defying my orders."

Leo stared at Bishop and nodded. He understood. It hadn't been his decision to spare Naito or not. Bishop had given him the objective because he knew how Leo wanted vengeance. Now, Bishop was going to relocate him to Detroit and have someone else go after Naito. Leo wasn't too worried about it. Naito was strong and capable and a better fighter than Leo. Naito could handle himself, plus he still had a family to back him up if he were to be at a disadvantage.

Leo turned on his heel and walked away.

He still wondered what would happen to Naito.

...

Naito waited, kneeling on the floor with his hands on his lap. His wrists were shackled together and a third chain connected to a shackle about his throat. His calm gray gaze was covered by a black blindfold. His head was bowed as he knelt there. The room he was in was dark and silent. The darkness pressed in on him, but he didn't mind it. He lived in the dark for his entire childhood. It did not bother him. He felt at home in it. If he was to spend his last moments in the darkness, then he would.

Naito had easily accepted his inevitable death. He knew he would die some day. Whether his enemies got him or he killed himself. He hadn't seen this type of death coming. It was a little hard to take in. His family was to slay him. Like an animal. How fitting.

He breathed in a slow sigh.

Memories flowed through his thoughts as he knelt there in the dark. Most of them were painful, but some were warm. He smiled a cold smile. What were memories to him?

He was going to die shortly.

Naito stretched his neck, eliciting a crack from the joint that echoed in the room. Leo's words echoed in his head. As much as Naito disliked it, Leo was right. He didn't owe his family a damned thing. He could still leave. He could leave right now if he wanted to. What was stopping him? He wouldn't be endangering any of his family by leaving. However, Leo knew the location of the lair now. What was to stop his twin from giving it to Bishop and having the entire family slain? Yet, Naito knew that Leo wouldn't do that. He could feel it inside of him.

Naito sighed and bowed his head again. He should have left with Leo, yet he couldn't have, could he? He had needed to hold Splinter back. But he could have knocked the rat unconscious.

Naito opened his crystalline gaze, focusing on the chain links that bound his wrists together. He gently pulled his wrists apart, the chain clinked with the movement. He pulled until the chains were stiff and tense. They were pretty strong. Naito remained still for a moment.

Was it worth it? Could he really leave?

They wanted him dead. They didn't care. He had everything to lose if he stayed.

What about Leo?

He would have to find him.

Agent Bishop?

He would deal with that one in time.

Naito pulled his wrists apart with a strong yank.

The chain snapped.

* * *

**A/N: I've having a bit of an argument with myself on how to continue this fic, so if my kind readers would like to offer their own opinions on it, I could probably pump out another chappy soon ;)**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Here's a regular length chapter for all of you :3 man am I hungry right now... well whatever, enjoy and be sure to check out Night Skies, my new fic!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

* * *

Raphael stood in the bathroom, staring at his face in the mirror. Underneath his red mask lay black marks made in ink. Bruises covered his throat. He placed a hand on one such bruise and winced at the raw pain. He looked away from the mirror, tearing his mask off violently and tossing it on the sink.

He moved back until his shell hit the wall and he slid on to the floor, his hands tracing the ink on his face that marked him as the eldest of his brothers. He could feel his eyes grow wet despite himself. He wiped at his eyes angrily.

How could Master Splinter do this? Why did it have to be him that had to... to execute Leo-no, it wasn't Leo. Naito. Why did he have to kill Naito?!

Raph dropped his head into his hands. It wasn't right. He grew up alongside Naito. How could he kill his brother?

Raph dropped his gaze to the ground beneath his feet. As much as he had been angered disgusted by Naito's murders, he couldn't bring himself to hate him. He hated what Naito had become, but not who he was.

How many times had Naito been there by his side in everything that they did? Naito had cared.

Raph closed his eyes. "But, if he cared so much, why did he try to kill me?" Raph muttered. Raph thought it over and shook his head. He opened his eyes and felt at a well hidden scar just under his jaw line. He remembered it well.

...

A younger Raphael stood, trembling with rage as he glared down at a well-designed young man who had attempted to entice a child into the alley they were in now. The human was a sick creature with a perverse outlook who had no pleasant designs for the child. Raphael had seen it, and he had intervened.

Raph gripped a sai tightly in his right hand. His amber eyes were devoid of all emotion except anger. He stalked towards the human, his muscles rippled underneath his dark green skin. The human made gasping sounds and scuttled backwards.  
Raph emitted a feral rumbling as he drew closer. The sixteen year old terrapin brought his foot down on one of the human's legs. A thick crunch sounded and the human screamed as the bones snapped in his lower leg. Raphael gripped the human's suit collar tightly and drew him up close to his amber gaze. He drew back the point of his sai, ready to plunge it into the human's throat.

An emerald green form dropped onto the ground between them, breaking Raph's grip on the human and shoving them both away from each other. The human cried out in pain at the jostling of his broken leg while Raph glared at the newcomer.

Gray eyes, blue mask, and twin katanas strapped to his shell, Raph's older brother stood between him and the human. Raph started forward but a hand on his plastron pressed him gently, keeping him in place. "Raphael, he is injured and very afraid. It's done." His brother spoke with that gentle voice of his.

Raph shoved him off. "Like hell it is! Leo, if you had seen-"

"I did see. Raph, calm down. Don't make this mistake."

Raph shoved his brother aside and started for the human. A hand wrapped around his wrist and twisted his arm behind his shell, forcing Raph onto one knee. A blade pressed against his throat. Raph froze as the sharp metal pressed its cold and hard edge against his throat.  
"Raph, taking someone's life is a serious matter. You can't just kill someone and be done with it. I will not let you kill him and forever stain your conscience with his death." He spoke in a voice with a hard edge to it.

"You don't know anything but your stupid meditation-philosophy shit, Leo. Let me the fuck go." Raph snarled angrily.

He only tightened his grip on Raph's wrist, but it was the wrong thing to do. Raphael did not like being held back and did not like his demands being ignored.

Raph brought his left elbow up into his brother's face, cracking against a cheekbone. He tore out of his brother's grasp and right into the blade that had pressed against his throat. Blood spurted from Raph's throat and spread over his brother's arm.

Raph stumbled back into his brother, dropping his sai and clutching tightly at his throat. Another pair of hands pressed against the wound and the sound of his elder brother's whispered apologies filled his consciousness even as he faded from it.

When he awoke again he found himself lying on the ground with something wrapped tightly around the wound on his throat. He blinked and slowly sat up as he felt at the fabric on his throat. He glanced down at it. It was a blue mask. His brother's mask.

Raph glanced around and found his brother sitting with his shell against a wall, watching him carefully. They were both silent.

"Where's the pervert?" Raph asked quietly. His brother stared for a moment, as if trying to read through Raph's eyes.

"Gone. In a hospital, likely."

"Safe and sound I bet."

His brother sighed. "Raph, please don't argue with me on this. You can't go around killing humans like this. You have no idea of how it will affect your mind. It will torment you for years. You'll see the faces of those you've killed. Raph, it's not safe."

Raph stared at his brother and saw a hint of desperation in his eyes. He lifted a hand to his throat again and saw pain flicker over his brother's features. His older brother looked away.

"I'm sorry, Raph... I didn't mean for that to happen. I was just... I didn't," He began but Raphael waved it off.

"Nah. I deserved it. I'm glad you stopped me before I did something stupid... thanks, Leo."  
His brother cringed slightly but nodded.

...

Raph opened his amber gaze and dropped his hands onto his lap. He never really understood what his brother had meant at that time. Raph thought it had been about the Shredder, but now that he thought about it, it wasn't at all about the late villain, It was it? It had been about the real Leo. Naito had still felt guilty about it and wanted to spare Raph of the guilt that came with murder.

It didn't make sense to him. Naito hadn't felt at all guilty about the thirty or so he had murdered. Why would he feel guilty about Leo?

Raph froze. Had Naito had certainly not felt guilty about slaying the Shredder. Had Naito enjoyed beheading the Shredder?

Raph immediately shook his head. His brother had not had that perverse notion at the time. Naito had been protecting his family that time.

What about when Naito had nearly strangled him to death? Twice.

Raphael felt uncomfortable thinking about it. Did his brother really want him dead? Was the only thing standing between Naito and his brothers their master?

Raph stood and walked towards the bathroom door. He needed answers. Only one person would be able to answer his questions. He opened the door and went stock still at the sight.  
Naito stood just a few feet away. His chains were broken. He turned at the sound of the bathroom door opening. His gray gaze was calm and... terrifying. He stared at Raph over his shoulder. His crystalline gaze seemed to glow in the darkness.

"I advise you not to stop me, Raphael. I'm leaving." Naito spoke softly. He didn't ask Raph. He didn't demand from him either. He told him.

Raphael stared. He was torn at Naito's words. His brother was a murderer. Naito couldn't be allowed to leave, but Raph didn't want to kill his brother either. His mind raced, what could he do to stop Naito from leaving and keep him alive?

Naito nodded and turned his head back. He moved to walk away.

"Wait."

Naito paused and slowly turned his head to look at Raph from over his shoulder.

"I... I wanna ask you a question." Raph said, stalling as he tried to find a solution. "Do you want me dead?"

Naito was silent. He turned about completely to stare at Raph. "No. I don't." He spoke again, but this time Raph could hear a sliver of emotion in his voice.

"Then why did you try t'kill me?"

Naito dropped his gaze to the ground before meeting Raph's amber eyes. "You won't like my answer, Raphael, but you did ask and I owe you the truth. The first time, when you found out of my tendencies, I was... unprepared for the level of stress. I control myself through killing. I need to kill in order to sate my dark side. Without it sated, I lose control. You attacked me and I had not killed recently. Even now, the need calls, Raphael. I cannot control it. I have to feed it. Master Splinter said that to me when I was about fourteen. I was naive. I didn't believe him." Naito sighed his last few sentences.

Raph froze. "Master Splinter knew?"

"Yeah. Shocking, isn't it? Everything you thought you knew about me was a lie."

Raph dropped his gaze to the ground and shook his head.

"No, no, you were... You still cared, didn't you?" Raph asked, lifting his desperate and wild amber eyes to meet Naito's cold gray ones. Naito was right. Everything Raph knew about him seemed to simply crumble away.

Naito suddenly looked sad. He looked away and thought of how to answer that.

"I... I did, Raphael. I do..." He sighed at this and Raph could see that Naito's gaze had grown wet. "I always cared, even when I wasn't a part of your family. I... never think I didn't care, Raph." He spoke hoarsely.

"And that time back in the alley? With that pervert? Why did you stop me when I could've been like you?" Raphael pressed, taking a step forward.

Naito screwed his eyes shut. "I never want you to be like me. Never. And you could never have been like me. If you had killed him, I would have been forced to act. That scar wouldn't have been an accident. I would've been forced to bring you back... and explain to Master Splinter why you killed that human. I would've been punished severely. You would have been punished severely. Worst of all. You would have known the thrill of killing. You would have turned to it out of joy and sick appeal. Nothing like me. Nothing at all. I've become more and more twisted since I began killing, but I have no joy or guilt for it. You would have been ridden with guilt. You would have killed yourself out of guilt, Raph. That's why I stopped you. Because I knew what it was like. I knew what it would do to you." He spoke, his voice remained calm but his body trembled as he fought off waves of emotion. He finally opened his eyes to see a look of understanding on Raph's features.

"You kill because you have to? But why go kill so many innocents?"

"I kill because I need to. I don't kill because I like it, whether I enjoy killing or not. It's a necessary evil that I have to live with. But, I do not kill innocents, Raphael." At this point, his voice grew harsh, almost angry. "The people I kill are deserving of death. They are murderers and rapists. Wife beaters, child molesters, you name it. I clean what no one else can. I clean out the wounds of society. I'm doing the city a damn favor by killing these disgusting men and women." He snarled before closing his eyes and releasing a breath. He forced himself to calm down before he spoke again. "I'm not much better than them, but I have my limits, Raph. Is that all you needed to ask me?"

Naito spoke the last with a glance in the direction of the bedrooms. His time here was drawing short and he needed to leave before there was a scene in which someone would definitely get hurt.

"Just one more thing, bro." Raph said, having figured out how to solve his own problem while Naito had rambled on.

"Do you really trust your twin enough to keep our home secret?"

Naito opened his mouth to speak but Raph moved swiftly, tackling the older terrapin. After their last few bouts, Raph knew Naito was a far better fighter than he had ever let on, however, he had a special weapon to counter this. He drove a black handle into Naito's side and sparks flew from it.

Naito's limbs went stiff as the taser's electric shock tore through his body. He felt his joints jerk in their sockets and gritted his teeth against the painful shock. He still fought against the shocks and drove an elbow into Raphael's cheek with a crack as bone met bone. His brother was knocked back by the blow and the taser separated from his skin for a moment. Naito leapt away but a sharp pain stabbed into his left thigh. His muscles spasmed uncontrollably and he uttered a cry of pain as he fell onto his plastron once more.

He clawed at the ground desperately as Raph strode up from behind him.

Naito rolled and flung his hand out, throwing a mix of dirt and pebbles at Raph's eyes. It was an old ninja trick, but it struck target. Raph roared and stumbled back, wiping at his irritated eyes.

Naito scrambled to his feet and flung his numb leg out, forcing it into motion.

The sounds of slamming doors erupted all around him as he sprinted lopsidedly for the lair entrance. Desperation fueled him. His need drove him onward. His instinct whispered to his body. Escape! Escape! Escape!

More of the stabbing pains erupted along the backs of his legs. He grimaced with each dart that struck him, but forced himself on.

He stumbled out into the sewer tunnels breathing raggedly. He needed to move fast if he wanted to survive.

Naito sprinted, thrusting his numb legs out while his muscles clenched and unclenched with throbbing pain. He could hear more footsteps following him closely behind. They were catching up to him. He skidded to a halt at the edge of a drop. He could see water at the bottom of it, but how deep the water was, he didn't know. He glanced back and muttered a curse. No matter what choice he made, there would be a dire consequence. Slain at the hands of his adoptive family or death by free-fall?

Naito leaped into the air and dived for the water, hoping it was deep enough.

The air rushed past him as he fell. His acceleration was swift and he struck the water with a splash only for something cold and sharp to pierce his left leg at the thigh. There was a watery cracking sound as bone snapped and flesh tore. He opened his mouth in a silent scream of agony. Bubbles escaped from his open mouth and blood clouded the murky water. He grasped at what had pierced through muscle and bone. A broken metal pipe.  
He attempted to slide his leg off but gasped out bubbles as his bone scraped and splintered against the metal. He was stuck. He turned his head up towards the surface of the water.

He was but a foot away from air. He was lucky he hadn't passed out from the pain.

Breaking a femur was no small thing, it was the strongest bone in the body.

He dropped his crystalline gaze to his trapped limb.

He would die here. He would drown if the blood loss didn't kill him first.

...

Raph crouched near the lip of the drop into a long shaft that was filled with water near the bottom. His right hand rested on his thigh as he considered his surroundings. Don and Mikey, both looking rather disheveled but alert, staring at the surface of the murky water. They had suspected that Naito had leapt into the water, but the gray eyed terrapin had yet to surface and it had been at least thirty minutes.

The question of him swimming down a tunnel had been overruled. Don had used a echolocation simulator and found that it was a dead drop. Nothing out through the water. Either Naito was down there waiting in the murky depths or had been long gone.

Raph closed his eyes and cursed himself. He hadn't intended for this to happen. He wanted to stun Naito and try to talk his family out of executing him. He didn't think Naito would have been able to resist the electricity so strongly. Don had assured him that it would stun Naito. But even when Raph had shot the electric darts, it was as if Naito had been unaffected. The older turtle had continued running, although there had been a slight limp in his steps.

Raph rubbed at his eyes and slowly stood. He tossed the taser gun aside and dropped his sais.

"Raph, what are you doing?" Don asked cautiously and suspiciously. Raph ignored him and surveyed the water below.

"Don't even think about it,Raph, you don't know what's down there!" Don snapped at him, glaring with coffee brown eyes narrowed. "You could hit something, the water might not be deep enough, there might be parasites in there, or Naito could be down there waiting to snap your neck! It's not safe!"

Raph gave the genius an exasperated look. "He's our brother, and I ain't waitin' t'see if his body comes floatin' up outta' the water. I'm gonna' see if he's even down there. 'Sides, I thought you wanted to save him."

"I did... I do, but he's dangerous,and we still need to take precautions. Not jumping off a ledge into the unknown would be one of those."

Mikey had been uncharacteristically silent. Don and Raph continued to ignore his near silent murmurings as he stared down at the water, which was starting to take on a red color.

"Guys..."

"Raph don't you dare!"

"Guys..."

"Don't ya' be telling me what to do, Don!"

"Guys..."

"This is why there's always been tension in our group, Raph!"

"Guys."

"Yeah, tension is what I'm real worried about right now, huh, ya'," Raph began.

"Guys!"

Raph and Don continued their argument, oblivious to Mikey. The blue eyed terrapin gave a cry of frustration and dived off the ledge and into the murky water, startling the other two brothers who turned to follow Mikey with their eyes.

The water had indeed taken on a bit of a red hue, and that worried Mikey. He broke into the water with a splash and struck something rough and solid. It moved slightly, like a punching bag. He blinked under the water a few times,trying to see through the murk. He paddled a little closer to the object he hit and stared at it, trying to discern its shape.  
It floated freely in the water but seemed anchored in place.

Mikey tentatively placed a hand on it and swiftly drew his hand back with an under water screech of terror. Whatever it was that he had touched, it was definitely fleshy.

He reached out again and felt along its length. No doubt about it. The floating object was Naito or a human with a carapace and three fingered hands. Mikey tried to tug the older terrapin with him as he swam to the surface but to no avail. Naito was stuck on something. Mikey swam lower, trying to find whatever it was that was pinning Naito's body down. His hand brushed against something cold and metal. He felt along the length of the metal and froze in horror as he found it impaled his eldest brother's leg. He felt for a pulse on Naito desperately. He felt for it on his wrists. Nothing. Mikey's panic began to rise. He felt along Naito's throat and still found no pulse. He felt for some sort or sign that Naito was alive. His hands flitted about Naito's facial features and leaned in as he anxiously tried to find proposed that Naito was alive.

A hand wrapped around Mikey's wrist and the younger turtle screamed under the water. Two crystalline gray orbs regarded the young terrapin with annoyance, although flickers of pain registered in their depths. Mikey stared at those gray eyes and sighed in relief, but he was still under water, so a cluster of bubbles escaped his mouth instead. Naito was alive. The older terrapin stared at the orange masked Mikey.

"I'm gonna get you outta here, alright, bro?" Mikey mouthed, grabbing onto Naito's hands. Naito stared and made a cutting gesture across his throat. Mikey stared for a moment until he realized that the gesture was not aimed at him. Mikey instead shook his head. "We'll get you outta here. Don't worry."

Naito relaxed for a moment before shaking his head and pointing at his impaled leg. It was truly stuck. Nothing would be able to free him except amputation or cutting at the broken pipe. He then pointed at his throat and made the gesture for choking. Mikey frowned and nodded before swimming up to the surface of the water he broke through the surface with a massive inhalation of air.

"Guys! He's hurt and stuck down here! It's really bad! He's bleeding out and needs air too!"  
His brothers exchanged worried glances before Raph climbed down towards the water. Don turned and sprinted off, likely to retrieve a med kit.

Mikey sucked in a breath and swam back down to Naito's side. The water was filled with blood. He didn't know how Naito could still be alive with all the blood that continued to flow from his wound. Mikey placed his hands on Naito's shoulders and looked him over. Naito had his eyes screwed shut, like he was doing all he could to hold his breath. His body was shaking, the water was cold. Mikey drew Naito in a hug, desperate to keep his brother warm. He rubbed Naito's arms, trying to create some friction. The older terrapin opened his crystalline gaze slowly, as if he was surprised by Mikey's actions. He glanced down at his trapped leg and felt another throbbing pressure in his chest. He was running out of air. Being a turtle, he could hold his breath for awhile, but forty five minutes was the last record he had. He'd been counting, and he was up to forty seven now.

His lungs began tingling, burning for air. A bubble escaped him but he clamped his mouth shut. Mikey stared at him in worry. His blue eyes searching Naito's gray ones. Naito's lungs burned even more, like a fire slowly being stoked. He screwed his eyes shut as he fought the urge to breathe. Mikey's eyes widened and his mind raced, searching for a means to keep Naito from drowning.

Naito gasped out more bubbles and began struggling out of Mikey's grip in panic. He struggled to swim up to the surface, but his impaled leg held him back. He clawed at his thigh, desperate for air. Mikey blinked once as an answer finally found itself in his mind.  
He swam up to the surface and gulped in a large breath of air before diving back down to Naito. He grabbed his older brother by the head and pressed his mouth to Naito's and forced Naito's mouth open. He forced air into Naito's mouth and to his lungs. Naito gulped it in greedily. Mike pulled away from his brother and swam back to the surface, he breathed in tiredly and saw Raph swimming up beside him.

"He's down there, he needs more air." Mikey said breathlessly. Giving his brother air had made him light headed. Raph nodded and gulped in air before diving down to Naito. He swam through the murky water and he felt a cold shiver run down his spine at the sight.  
Naito floated in the water, his arms drifted and his crystalline gaze was lidded. He barely glanced at Raph, his head hung low between his shoulders and a slender length of metal pierced through his left thigh. Blood hung in the water around him.  
Ralph felt his stomach clench. This was his fault.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Sorry about my little hiatus, some things came up but I am back. This is the last chapter followed by an epilogue. I will be posting a few one shots after this and I might do with a sequel but, I'm a little busy... so... eh... maybe. I'm also thinking that I could really use a beta reader since I mostly post from my kindle. Well PM me if you guys want to help littllittle old DS out.**

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Master Splinter knelt on a tatami mat. His head was bowed low while his brow was furrowed in deep thought. The flickering of candles cast a soft yellow glow on his body. His hands rested palms upward on his lap as he knelt in meditation.

His sons were out trying to bring Naito back and he remained behind. He felt weak and a fool for doing so, but he still remained. He did not want to see the one who had been Leonardo for twelve years. The one who had struck the true Leonardo down and taken him away from the aged sensei. All those years ago, the master had thought he had overcome his anger and hurt. He thought he had forgiven Naito. And perhaps he had. He loved him now, and wished not to hurt him, and still he was forcing his sons to hunt Naito down like an animal. He had stripped Naito of his rank and family. Splinter had thrown him out.

The sensei's ears dropped back and he sighed.

He felt something wet his fur and brought a hand up to wipe the tears from his eyes. He inhaled deeply and straightened. He did love Naito. He had always hoped it would never come to this. He had always known it would. Naito, as much as Splinter loved him, had to be slain. Splinter wanted so dearly to sneak his son away, to fake Naito's death and make it so his sons would believe Naito to be dead. But it would never work. Naito was too dangerous and too unpredictable.

Splinter dropped his head and exhaled a painful breath. If only he had searched for that fifth turtle.

He heard a muffled thump. Splinter's ears flicked and his eyes snapped open. His eyes widened as he met a gray gaze nestled deep in the shadows. A figure stepped out of the shadows. Emerald green skin. Gray eyes. Scarred features.

Leonardo.

He slowly approached, casually. A feral anger was clear in his dark gray gaze.

"Where is my brother?" He spoke harshly as he approached, his steps quickening and widening.

Splinter stared for a moment. He saw not the angry turtle before him, but a young toddler with bright eyes and a contagious grin. He opened his mouth to speak but found his words stolen by a pang of pain. He flinched with a gasp and clutched his hand to his stomach. He dropped his gaze to his stomach and found bright red spreading over his robes. He glanced up as Leo now stood over him with blazing eyes. He noticed the still smoking pistol at his hip and suddenly understood.

Leo dropped to one knee and grabbed the elderly rat by the collar of his robes and shook him. "Where is my brother?!" He snarled in the rat's face.

Splinter stared at Leonardo. "Gone, my child." He sighed.

Leo froze for a moment and his gaze hardened. "I am not your child. Where has he gone? Is he dead? Did you kill him?!"

Splinter shook his head and raised a hand to cup Leonardo's cheek. His fingers brushed against the heavy scar and Leo stiffened at the touch. Splinter stared at him. "He ran away, my son. The others ran off to find him. But your brother is skilled... He will escape..." Splinter murmured as he gently stroked Leonardo's cheek. Leo's gaze narrowed. He removed the sensei's hand from his face and unsheathed a jagged edged blade from his belt.

Master Splinter stared at Leonardo, and once again, the image of a young gray eyed turtle took his place. The little turtle offered him a smile and a bubbly laugh. Splinter smiled and reached out once more to his son.

A blade punched between his ribs and reached his heart. It dug in deep, as if his heart were its scabbard. Splinter felt no pain, though he continued to smile at the child even as the little turtle beckoned for him to follow.

Leo slid the blade free easily, removing it from its warm and dying sheath.

"You make a mistake, my son... take care of Naito... please do not harm the others..." Splinter breathed as his eyes went dull and his last lucid thoughts escaped him. He turned to the child and smiled weakly. "I am coming, little one..." He whispered before his body shuddered and went still.

Leo stared at the dead rat for a moment before releasing his grip on the sensei. The body fell back like a rag doll upon the ground. Leo stood, flicking the blood from his knife as he did so. He slid it back into its sheath as he turned. He froze.

A purple masked terrapin stood no more than a few feet away, staring in horror.  
"You killed him..." Donatello whispered, his gaze fixed on Master Splinter's body.  
Leonardo glanced at the body and back to Don.

"Yes. I did." He spoke calmly.

Don turned his soft and wet gaze to Leo. "Why... Why would you do this?" Don spoke, his voice wavered with emotion.

Leo approached the purple masked terrapin. He came snout to snout with Donatello. Gray eyes met soft coffee brown. "You wouldn't understand, Don. Now where is my brother?"

Don's gaze dropped to the ground and he shook his head. "I... You killed our father!"  
"Your father. He is no father of mine. He replaced me. He never bothered looking for me. Do you know what it's like to be abandoned, Don? To be left bleeding and broken and alone in the dark? To be surrounded by rats and bugs who are just waiting for you to die so they can eat you? I had my own score to settle." Leo snapped angrily. He shoved the younger turtle against a wall.

"Now where is my brother?" He growled.

Don's sad gaze met his. "Wasn't it him who abandoned you? Your brother? We had nothing to do with what happened to you, Leo! You can't just blame it all on us!"

Leo's hand found Don's throat. He pressed in on the younger turtle. Don squirmed underneath his weight. "You don't know a damn thing, Don. Shut the hell up. Just shut the hell up. I'll find him on my own!" He snarled, releasing his hold on Donatello and storming past him.

Don rubbed his sore throat and coughed.

"I'm only sparing you because of our past. Don't make me regret it." Leo's voice echoed back as he made his way into the bowels of the sewage system, following the trail of kicked up sewage water that Donatello had left behind.

His mind was elsewhere as he followed the tracks.

Had he done the right thing in killing Splinter? Leo rolled his eyes and continued his trek. As if doing the right thing actually mattered to him. He wasn't some comic book hero. He was a contract killer. A mercenary working for the EPA. He was raised by Agent Bishop, the man who wrote the book on apathy. No, Leo didn't care about the 'right' thing, but he felt something. Was it regret?

Did he really regret killing the old rat?

Leo snorted at that one. He held no sympathy for the rat. But his adoptive brothers were another matter entirely. He didn't like them, but he didn't hate them either. Splinter had been their father. He had been Naito's father for a time too. How would Naito react to Splinter's death. Leo didn't know. His brother could be unpredictable. Here Leo had thought that Naito would have blindly followed the adoptive family past the jaws of death and into its belly. But it seemed Naito had ran off, leaving them.

Leo wondered at that. He didn't know much about Naito, except what he had seen over the time he had trailed him and their short bit of childhood. For all he knew, Naito could have been a magical rabbit from another dimension. But his greatest connection with Naito, their craving of the kill, was what allowed him to see the truth of Naito. He knew enough to know that Naito did love him unconditionally. Leo had to admit he didn't feel dissimilar about Naito.

Having someone who understood the call of the blood other than himself was... comforting. With the people he dealt with, he was relieved to find someone like Naito, even if he did want to kill him at first.

Leo paused as he reached a ledge. He slowly approached the edge of it and glanced about with his hand hovering over his gun. His gray gaze scanned over the edge of the concrete, searching the dark murky water below.

He heard a heavy breathing, like that of something struggling for air. Leo ignored his better instincts and dove off the ledge and into the murk.

He sank into the water with a splash and swam downwards. His eyes stung from the sewage but he ignored it as he continued his swim. He heard muffled shouting, but ignored it as a green blur came into view. Two crystalline orbs met his gaze, glowing like beacons through the murky water. Leo swam harder, knowing it was Naito. He swam up to his brother and grabbed a hold of Naito's shoulders as he looked him over. His breath caught in his throat as he noticed a shaft of metal driven through Naito's thigh. He hadn't noticed the red tinge to the water until then.

Leo unsheathed his knife and sawed at the metal. There was an awful grating-grinding noise that jarred the twins. Leo removed the blade from the metal pipe and noticed that he had only chipped away at the rust on the surface of the pipe. He released his grip on the knife and it sank away from him. He gripped the pipe in both hands and pulled and twisted. His muscles writhed and twisted painfully and to no avail. He released his grip on the pipe even as bubbles of precious air escaped him.

Naito weakly placed a hand on Leo's plastron. Leo's gaze rose to meet his. Naito offered him a weak smile. "It's okay." He seemed to say. Naito pulled his twin into an embrace. Pain tugged at Leo and a pressure built up inside of his chest. He shook his head even as he held his brother. He couldn't give up on Naito. After twelve years spent in regret and anger and pain and loneliness, he needed his brother.

He needed Naito.

Leo pulled away from his brother and unsheathed a katana from the sheath on his shell. He motioned for Naito to stay still. A hand found its way to his. Leo took Naito's offered hand and held it tightly as he swung the katana. It struck the metal with a jarring sensation. Naito twitched and squeezed Leo's hand tightly but did not scream. Leo saw that the pipe had bent over from the strike, even as he had been slowed by the water. He tightened his grip on the katana and swung again. A squeal of metal on metal stabbed through the water and Naito uttered a cry of pain that tore at Leo. Blood clouded about Naito's thigh and Leo sheathed his katana even as he wrapped an arm around his twin. He swam for the surface of the water, his muscles were edging into a slow burn.

He broke the surface with a gasp of air and Naito sputtered and coughed as he struggled to breath through the bits of water that had sneaked into his lungs.

Shouts echoed in the tunnel but Leo ignored them as he swam for the wall of the tunnel shaft. He lifted his brother onto a piece of driftwood near a set of ladder rungs as he slid his handgun free of its holster. He stood on one of the rungs as he leveled the barrel of the weapon on two turtles who had until then been swimming for the twins.  
"What the hell are you doing?" Raphael snarled as he moved in front of Mikey, both were treading water.

Leo glared at them. "Leave us alone. You don't deserve to be near my brother. You've done enough here." He spat back at them.

The two turtles visibly flinched at that.

"You-you don't even know him! You don't know anything about our brother!" Mikey cried.

Leo's gaze narrowed. "I don't need to know anything. Knowing my brother has blinded you from understanding him. You think you know him so you think you understand him. You're blinded by everything you thought you knew about him! You still see him as some sort of hero. You refuse to see him as a killer because you don't understand him. You refuse to believe it because you don't want to accept the unknown. You don't want to accept that Naito kills people. You don't know how to deal with it. You don't know how to react to it. So you reject it. You reject him."

Naito turned his head to stare at his brother with a lidded gaze. He couldn't believe the words that spilled out of Leo's mouth. The anger and hate that was driven into those words. Leo was defending him. Protecting him. But he was also threatening Naito's adoptive brothers. After years of defending them and taking hits for them, Naito did not feel comfortable about that. He remained silent though the throbbing from his wound made it so.

Naito could feel it healing. With his mutant genes now faster and stronger than ever, the bone was realigning and fixing itself while his broken flesh knitted back together.  
"Now leave us. I have a brother to care for and I will not hesitate to shoot either of you."

Raph looked ready to slip into a berserker rage but Mikey, latched onto Raph's arm, held him back. Raph gritted his teeth and knew he couldn't risk his baby brother here.  
"This isn't over. It'll never be over." He growled as he shook Mikey off of his arm. He and Michelangelo edged away, slowly and with glares and despondent looks. They clambered back up the metal rungs on the other side of the flooded shaft and disappeared as the shadows took over. Leo held the gun' s barrel leveled on them the entire time.

Leo dropped his weapon arm and turned to Naito. He slipped the weapon back into its holster and knelt next to his brother. He put a hand on Naito's shoulder as those crystalline gray eyes pierced through him.

"You okay? Those mutant genes working double time to fix you up?" Leo spoke in a softer tone, although there was a constant sharpness to his voice.

Naito turned on his shell and took in a deep breath before releasing it.

"Yeah. I'm fine..."

"What?"

"What do you mean, what? I said I was fine."

"Sure. That's why you said: Yeah. I'm fine." Leo said, mimicking Naito's despondent tone.

Naito rolled his eyes and gave Leo a look. "Were you really going to shoot them?" He asked in all seriousness.

Leo stared at him before smirking. "I thought you would have known better, Naito. My gun got soaked, of course it can't shoot. I'd have to clean it up and dry it out."

Naito seemed to relax at that.

"You lost a lot of blood, how do you feel?"

"I'll survive."

"You always do. Now c'mon, let's get you out of here and some where dry and warm and not so damn dark." Leo muttered the latter as he eased Naito up onto the rungs.

"Don't worry, I'll get you a night light to fight off the big bad dark."

"Shut up or I'll leave you here."

"I'm quaking."

"Shut up."

The two brothers were smirking though. Leo helped his brother up the rungs and once they reached solid ground, Naito refused to be carried. So they limped through the tunnels, exchanging nothing but comfortable silence.

They stopped to rest, sitting side by side against the wall of a dimly lit tunnel. Naito closed his eyes and glanced at Leo.

Leo noticed the look and turned to him. "What?"

Naito glanced at the ground and back to Leo. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but why did you come back?"

Leo went silent and turned his gaze to the wall across from them. "I really don't know. Maybe it's because you're the one bond I have with the past. I don't have anyone I know I can rely on except for you. I... I've been alone for the past twelve years. Once I found you, I felt... like someone actually cared. Like... like if I died, there would be someone who'd actually care... I don't know." He muttered.

A hand gently squeezed his shoulder. He turned to see the warm gaze of his brother and a soft smile on his features.

"Well I'm glad you came, or else I'd probably still be stuck down there." Naito shakily stood up, favoring his left leg.

"So what now?" He asked, placing his hands on his hips and turning to regard Leo.

Leo stood and offered him a smirk.

"We live."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Wow, do I feel horrible . There was only this chapter left and I made you guys wait quite some time for it, huh? Sorry, I was busy making the military ball awesome...and it was awesome. So, please enjoy the epilogue.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

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The murk and darkness and the pressure that crushed his lungs as precious life-blood escaped him and pain radiated from a snapped bone. Confusion at first, then shock, and then the pain sank in with despair as he realized what had occurred. Just as he had finally fled for his life in a wild attempt to resurrect his own desires and wants, he would die.

Ironic was it, that he—a serial murderer—would die as he fled for freedom.

His brothers tried to save him, despite the fact that they had chased after him to bring him back to his execution. They worried and panicked as it finally hit them. They would be responsible for his death. The sight of his body, floating and anchored by the rusty metal pipe that impaled his thigh, with blood drifting as it hung about his half-dead body. The paleness of his lidded crystalline gaze would betray his weakness, exhaustion, and wont of death. It all drove them to bring him precious air as he became more and more so deathly still. Their struggle was nothing to him. He knew their true intentions then. They had planned to strike him down and did nothing as they stripped his name from him and he was cast out of the clan. From what he saw, they hadn't cared, and that was all that mattered.

Naito slowly allowed his gaze to fall to the inky black water that lapped at his ankles. It was ice-cold, and chilled him to the bone. The brilliance of the full moon glimmered on the water's surface, shimmering with the flow of the water. Naito's face was impassive. He stared at the water's surface with his crystalline gaze. His eyes seemed to glow in the darkness of the night as he stood at the water's edge beneath a great bridge. His body was whole, but for a strange scar upon his left thigh. Naito strode forward, wading into the icy water. His stride was with a hitch as his left leg moved. He would never move the same as he had, despite the mutagen accelerant in his bloodstream. He had been lucky that the mutagen had not bled out of his body. But now, he suffered with every step he took. The pain was slowly fading to the back of his mind along with the numbness that had taken root inside of him.

His gaze narrowed as a particular pang of pain rang throughout his body, radiating from his left femur as the cold tugged viciously at his old injury. He came to a stop, bowing his head and tightening his hands into fists. He wanted to be angry, but he felt nothing. No emotion. Nothing but numbing emptiness.

His thoughts turned to his family. Donatello. Michelangelo. Raphael. Splinter.

He had not seen them in nearly two months. Had heard no word of them. He knew nothing of them. It should have bothered him, but it didn't.

He missed their presence. He had been their protector, leader, son, and older brother for most of his life. He didn't know what to do without his duty to them. It had all crumbled away with the revealing of his true identity. A murderer. None of them had understood him. His father, the one who had known the truth all along, had abandoned him just as he had to Leo all those years ago. They had turned on Naito like a pack of traitorous wolves turning on a member of their own pack. But Naito had accepted the execution like a trained animal would a beating. He had submitted to those he loved without a thought for himself. And yet, Leo had saved him.

It was indirectly at first. Naito had realized that his desire for life was stronger than that of dying at the hands of his family. It was the same desire that had driven him to kill, and in turn, revealed his true nature. But Leo had accepted him. He knew what it was like. He knew how the call of the blood would drive them both mad if they did not answer. At first, Naito didn't want to accept it. He didn't want anything to do with the blood.

But now, Naito had Leo, and he couldn't have felt more relieved. Finally, someone understood. Finally, he was accepted.

Naito sighed and turned his crystalline gaze skyward. The stars glistened in the night sky. He smiled.

…

Agent Bishop stood alone underneath a broad oak tree, his gaze watching over the New York harbor. Inky jet black water lapped at the hulls of ships and boats of all sizes. The wooden piers creaked as the water swayed gently to and fro. The wind tugged playfully at his trench coat, allowing the fabric to drift amidst the air. Bishop stood with shoulders squared and his hands folded against the small of his back. His dark shades covered his calm and calculating gaze.

He was waiting.

He listened calmly for the tell-tale sighs of creaking wood and the crunching of grass. His lips eased into a smirk as he heard a nearly inaudible snapping sound.

His agent had finally returned.

A dark and muscular figure dropped down in front of him, dark gray eyes gleaming cruelly as a sadistic smirk found its way on the figure's scarred features. Bishop readjusted his shades.

"The renegade returns." Bishop remarked smoothly. "I'm sure you know the repercussions of dereliction of duties and refusing to obey direct orders."

Leonardo's smirk only grew. "I come to turn in my official resignation and denial for re-enlistment within your… organization. It's nothing personal, Sir. I'd prefer to stay here than go to Detroit for petty errands."

Bishop's mouth twitched but his smirk was once again upon his features.

"A shame then. We'll lose one of our best agents."

"A shame, indeed." Leo returned smoothly.

Bishop adjusted his tie before returning his hands to the small of his back. His eyes, completely covering his gaze, picked out one of his snipers upon the crow's nest of a government vessel no more than a hundred meters away. The sniper awaited Bishop's signal to shoot a high velocity-high caliber round through Leonardo's skull, effectively slicing through bone and brain. Leonardo would be dead in less than a heartbeat.

Bishop's eyes roved back to Leonardo, one of his best agents in the field and responsible for more than his fair share of successful EPA operations.

"So do I live, or are you planning on shooting me down with that sniper positioned on the crow's nest? Or, considering I have three seconds to move out-of-the-way at the signal you give him, I dodge the round he fires and cut you down in the remaining two seconds for him to reload. Or, his spotter disables me exactly a second after he realizes that the first shot missed—just as I slash your throat open with an upward strike from my tanto. The possibilities are endless, should you decide to kill me. But, would you chance me striking first?" Leo spoke smoothly; his eyes glinted with excitement as he considered the odds.

Bishop offered Leonardo a sly look. "You forgot to include the factor that I could merely be a projected image, or the factor that I would be ready for your desperate strike to end my life. However, don't give yourself too much credit, Leonardo. You're not so important that I would waste my time worrying about how to kill you."

Leonardo's brow rose but he remained silent.

"So do we both walk away, or is someone's blood going to stain the ground?" He spoke in that hard-edged voice, a malicious and all too serious gleam entering his gaze. Bishop simply smirked and strode past Leonardo.

"If I see your misbegotten brother, he will die and so will you."

Leo turned and stared after Agent Bishop, puzzlement clear upon his features.

…

Raphael trudged through the sewers; a snarl tore at his features while his amber gaze blazed with fury. Two others followed him. All three walked in a similar fashion, shoulders squared and tense, muscles bunched and eyes blazing with ferocity.

Raphael stopped; sludge coated his calves and those of his brothers. His brothers stopped as well. Raphael held a strip of blue cloth in his fisted right hand, clenching it so tight that the skin on his knuckles had gone pale. He turned to the others and nodded. Michelangelo stepped forward, followed by Donatello. All were grim-faced, angry, and wore black masks of mourning. Raphael handed the blue strip to Michelangelo who took it and drew a line in charcoal across the strip before kneeling on the ground and pressing it to the ground. Donatello moved up behind him and knelt next to him. He stabbed a tanto into the strip of cloth, between the eye holes and through stone, effectively pinning the mask to the ground. The two stood up and Raphael moved down, snapping out a lit match. He set the blue strip alight and tossed aside the match. He drew a tanto of his own and sliced the skin across his forearm and held the bleeding wound above the flames. Several drops of blood fell into the fire as he passed it to his other brothers who repeated the process before passing the blade back to Raphael.

Raph slipped the blade into his belt after flicking the blood from it. He pulled three strips of blue cloth out of his belt and handed one each to his brothers. They wrapped their wound with the cloth, blood soaked into blue. As one, the three brothers spoke.

"We swear, bound by blood and oath, to exact punishment equal to that of the traitor's blade. We will not rest. We will not linger, until the tongue of the traitor is torn from his throat by our blade. By blood and oath, we swear."

…

Naito paused as the sound of a scream tore through the night air. He turned away from the water and towards the city. It called to him with the promise of criminals and blood to sate his need. He spotted an approaching shadow out of the corner of his crystalline gaze. He turned to Leo and offered his twin a nod of the head. Leo returned the gesture as he came to stand next to Naito.

"It calls us. You heard it, right?"

"The scream?" Naito asked, glancing his twin's way.

Leo grinned. "Yeah, so what do you say?"

Naito glanced up at the moon. "Tonight's the night."

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**A/N: Alright, please review, tell me your thoughts, and if you guys think I should do a sequel. Also, I'd much appreciate it if you guys would read my other fics! Thanks for sticking it through with me :)**

**P.s. I know some of you have been wondering what Naito's name means, if you stick around for the next few One-shots (or that "maybe" sequel) you're likely to find out ;)**


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